Jain Journal 1971 04

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 63

Kundakoliya, the Defender of the Faith
[The Uvāsagadasão (Uvāsagadasău or Upāsakadasā) is the seventh Anga. It contains ten chapters dealing with the legends about the ten upāsakas or pious householders. The whole work seems to have been compiled for devotional purposes. It furnishes us with materials which give a vivid picture of the social life of those days. The text has been edited with Sanskrit commentary by Abhayadeva Suri and translated into English with notes by Hoernle in the Bibliothica Indica Series. Leumann (Wiener Zeitschrift fur die kunde des Morganlandes, 3, 1998) and Barth (Revue del'histoire des Religions, Paris, 19, 1889) have carefully studied the text. Here we present the story of Kundakoliya who was praised by Mahavira for defending the faith. ]
Chattham Ajjhayaṇam, Uvāsagadasão
At that time and at that period there was the town of Kampillapura. Near it there was the garden Sahasramravana. Its king was Jitasatru. In it lived the householder Kundakoliya. His wife was called Puspa. He possessed a treasure of six kror measures of gold deposited in a safe place, a capital of six kror measures of gold put out on interest, a well-stocked estate of the value of six kror measures of gold, and six herds, each herd consisting of ten thousand head of cattle. At a certain time the Samana, the blessed Mahavira, arrived on a visit to the city. Kundakoliya went out to hear him... and took upon himself the law of a householder.
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Then that Kundakoliya, the servant of the Samana, at some time or other, at the time of the midday hour, went to where the sacred maso
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