Jain Journal 1973 01

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

Page 12

THE SKANDAKA STORY
---an inspiring story of a Vedic scholar who turned to be a Jaina monk--
( Extracted from S. II 0:1 of the Bhagavatī Sūtra, the encyclopaedia of the very best in the Jaina thought, whose complete English rendering by Prof. K. C. Lalwani is scheduled for publication from the Jain Bhawan, to commemorate the 2500th anniversary of the liberation of Sramana Bhagavan Mahavira, which is going to be celebrated in 1974-75. Volume one covering Satakas one and two of the original, with complete Prakrit text, English translation, exhaustive notes and index, is coming out shortly.--Editor 1
In that period, at that time, Sramana Bhagavan Mahavira departed from the Gunasila caitya in the outskirts of the city of Rajagrha. Having moved out (from there), he was wandering in the neighbouring villages.
In that period, at that time, there was a city named Krtangala. Description (as before). In the outskirts of that city, at a place between the north and the east, there was a caitya called Chatrapalasaka. Description. Sramana Bhagavan Mahavira, master of supreme kevalaknowledge and kevala-vision (arrived) ... till congregation. People went out to listen).
Not far from the city of Krtangala, there was a city named Sravasti. In that city of Sravasti, there lived a monk of the Parivrajaka order, named Skandaka, who belonged to the line of Katyayana, and who was a disciple of Gaddavala. He was profoundly versed in, and had reached the depth of, the four Vedas, Rk-Sām-Yajur-Atharva, fifth Itihāsa (History), sixth Nighantu (Vedic index), and all literary works based on them. He preserved them in memory, corrected others if necessary, upheld them, and attained perfection in them. He was the master of the six