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leads us to the same conclusion too. In one place of his itinerary Hiuen-Tsang states that Sasanka made an abortive attempt to replace a Buddha-image by an image of Siva. Therefore, it is evident that Sasanka belonged to the Brahmin caste and was a devotee of Siva.
But the above mentioned proof does not militate against the view that he was a follower of the Digambara Jaina sect in his early life or he was born of Jaina parents of Brahmin caste. There is also a disguised hint in Arya-mañjuśrl-müla-kalpa of his being a follower of a nonBrahmanical sect in his earlier life. In that stanza, he has been depicted as performing some non-Brahmanical religious activities. On the basis of that evidence K. P. Jayswal stated that “Soma had done in his former life some Buddhist pious acts.” The stanza referring to the insinuation is quoted as follows :
pūrvam pratyeka buddhāya bhaktācchādanadattavām( ?n)// pādakau ca tadā dattau cchatracāmarabhūşitam tasya dharmaprabhāvetau mahārājyatựdevatau||
The stanza quoted above proves it indirectly that Sasanka was not a follower of Brahmanical Saiva sect in his former life, or birth but a devotee of Pratyeka Buddhas and he gave garments, shoes, umbrellas and camaras or fly-whisks to Pratyeka Buddhas and on account of these meritorious activities he obtained his kingdom and enjoyed it. It is to be kept in mind that Pratyeka Buddhas are not worshipped by the Buddhists only. The Jainas too venerate the Pratyeka Buddhas that means Pratyeka Buddhas are worshipped by the Buddhists and Jainas alike. The activities which have been stated to be 'Buddhist pious acts' by K. P. Jayswal may also be regarded as the “Jaina pious acts'. So it will not be improper to suggest that Sasanka was a follower of the Digambara Jaina Sect or his parents were Jaina, though belonged to the Brahmin caste.
But Sasanka was a bitter enemy of the Jainas. The author of Arya-mañjuśrt-mula-kalpa states that Sasanka had destroyed the resthouses of the Jainas throughout the world i.e. his kingdom. The fact that Sasanka was a follower of the sect founded by Mahavira, (i.e. Jainism) and that he persecuted the Jainas should not stand in the way of the proposed hypothesis or suggestions. The famous Pallava king Mahendra Varman was originally a Jaina, but when he was converted to Saivism by the saint called Appar, he did not hesitate to slay thousands
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