Jain Journal 1979 01

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

Page 11

JANUARY 1979
97
He immediately walked on to Pava, which was 12 yojanas away from Jrimbhikagama (according to calculation, as given in the Bhagavatt Sutra 6/7, 12 yojanas will be equal to 54 or 55 miles). A Samavasarana (religious discourse pavilion) was got erected there the next day. People flocked there to hear him and have his darsan. Indrabhuti Gautama, one of the participants in the yajña, also came to know of the arrival of Lord Mahavira, and taking him to be a hypocrite, went to out-wit him in discussion. But lo! he became a follower of Lord Mahavira alongwith all his 500 disciples. Another ten topmost Brahmanas and their disciples also followed suit. The Lord waited there for some days more and then went to Rajagrha, where he passed the 13th rainy season (Kalpasūtra, 120).
The aim of our thesis is to locate Jrimbhikagama. Before pursuing our point, we would like to refer to some of the previous assumptions regarding the location of the above-mentioned place. Present Jharia, Jamui, Jambhi, Jogram (Burdwan) etc. are among the places believed to be the possible sites where Lord Mahavira got full-Knowledge. The Barakar river is presumed to be the old Rijubalika. Some scholars have laboured to prove that the Poonpoon, the Aji or the Kamsa etc. to be the Rijubalika. In our opinion none of these assumptions has got any substance or solid grounds. As we have already seen above, the Lord travelled 12 yojanas from Jrimbhikagama to reach Pava, none of the places named above is at the distance of 12 yojanas either from Pavapuri (Nalanda district) or Pavanagár (Deoria District). Besides, the names of the rivers too have no similarity with Rijubalika or Rijukulya. So no one among the aforesaid places can be accepted to be Jrimbhikagama.
We have set out on a journey to explore the real place by sticking closely and carefully to the versions of the Jaina literature. Let us also follow the path Lord Mahavira had travelled after the completion of the 12th rainy season. He had started from Campa and moved westward, crossing the Ganges somewhere near Sonepur, at a point west of the river Gandaka. He arrived at Jrimbhikagama and proceeded further northwest to Medhiya—in our opinion Manjha, then according to us to Chammani), i.c., Chhitauli and reached Pavanagar (Sathiaon-Fazilnagar). He then returned to Jrimbhikagama and again went to Pava etc.
This route naturally suggests that Jrimbhika must be somewhere to the south-east of Pava and north-west of Campa, at a distance of 54-55 miles from Pava. This place is quite easy to be located in the district of Siwan or Saran. In our opinion Jhanjhwa is the ancient Jrimbhikagama.