Jain Journal 1976 01

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

Page 35

JANUARY, 1976
followers including Candragupta Maurya because of the famine which ravaged North India for twelve years, then there took place the propagation of Jainadharma there or probably it was established there among the people of this mission territory92.
Second Phase
According to the Jaina tradition, king Samprati, the great grandson of Candragupta Maurya, was the disciple of Suhastin. He sent royal emissaries to Anaryadesas in the guise of monks and made the path easy for the pilgrimage of the Jaina monks to these countries for the spiritual welfare of the people. That is to say, he prepared the ground for the Jaina monks by sending the royal officials first in the guise of monks to train the people of Anaryadesas in Jainacara (Jaina religious customs and manners, etc.) before the advent of Jainadharma preached by the Jaina missionaries 93. This king extended his kingdom upto Andhradesa and Dravidadesa, thus he helped in the expansion of Jainadharma upto the land of the Non-Aryans in the South 94. Besides, he constructed stūpas and temples in many parts of India. It is stated in Viravaṁśāvalī95 that again king Samprati made präsādabimba of Sri Padmaprabha Svami at Uttaradesa, Marudhara, Dhandanagari and erected prāsāda by the side of Vijayagiri and also constructed prāsādabimba of Sri Parsvanatha at Brahmagiri Sri Hamiragadhi. He made the installation of the image of Neminatha on the top of Iloragiri in the Deccan. He made prasadabimba of Sri Suparsvanatha at Rohinagari in Eastern Country. In the West, he installed prāsādabimba of Sri Santinatha at Devapatta and again at Idargadh9.
According to the Bṛhatkalpasutra", king Samprati set up charitable institutions in his own kingdom for the benefit of the poor. Thus he helped the Jaina mission98 in propagating Jainadharma in the country just as Asoka did in the case of Buddhism throughout his kingdom and outside.
The Sramanas of Acarya Suhastin were divided into six ganas, twenty four sākhās and twenty seven kulas 99. Thus they made propagation
92 Bharatiya Samskrti-men Jaindharma-ka Yogdan, p. 36.
Brhatkalpasutra and its Bhasya, gathas 3288, 3289.
93
94 Ibid.
Vira Vamsavali, also Pattavali Samuccaya, Pt. II, p. 203. 96 Ibid., pp. 203-4.
95
97
121
98
99
Brhatkalpasutra, U.I. Su. 50. Niruktigatha, 3275-3289. Also Pattavali Samuccaya, Pt. II, p. 204.
Pattavali Samuccaya, II. Puravani, pp. 203-4.
Sthaviravalis 209-222; see also Pattavali Samuccaya, II, p, 203.