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SO
JAIN JOURNAL
Uttarādhyayana Sutra
Mahājanaka Jataka
The same
The same (by goddess Sivali)
3. Decision of renouncing the
world 4. Testing the determination of
Nami (by Indra) 5. Distracting Nami by saying
'Mithila is burning 6. 'On burning of Mithila
nothing of Nami burns' 11 7. Preaching (long)
The same
The same
The same (in short)
Motto of the theme can also be seen in the story of Sonaka Jataka (No. 529). Pratyek Buddha Sonaka tells us that if the whole city is on fire nothing of a saint burns.12 In the dialogue between sage Mandavya and king Janaka in the Mahābhārata the latter had said to the sage ‘on burning of Mithila nothing of his burns'. 13 It appears that the detachment of Videha kings like Nami, Janaka and others were very well known.14 Visnupūrana also records that all the kings of Mithila were spiritual.
The story as found in the Jātaka seems to be older because here the story is predominant than preaching.
Uttaradhyayana Sūtra describes the renunciation of two Nami kings. One was Tirthankara, the other a Pratyeka Buddha.15 It is therefore surprising that in the lives of fortyfive Pratyeka Buddhas as collected in Rşibhāşita Prakirnaka in Jaina tradition there is no mention of king Nami.16 It seems therefore that the story of Prateka Buddhas came to Jaina tradition from the Buddhist literature.
Of the stories of Jaina monks, the story of Meghakumara is very illuminating. The story is important also from the cultural point of view.17 Main features of the story of Meghakumara's renunciation as found in Jñātādharmakathā are as follows:
11 US., Chap. IX, gatha 14 and Mahajanaka Jataka, gatha 125. 19 Jataka, Part IV (Hindi Trans.), Sonaka Jataka, No. 829. 18 Mahabharata, Santiparva, Chap. 276, verse 4. 14 Acarya Tulsi, Uttaradhyayana : ek Samiksatmaka Addhyayan, Calcutta, 1968, p. 355. 16 Uttaradhyayana Niryukti, gatha 267. 16 Isibhasiyam, first Sangrahini, gatha 9. 17 Jnatadharma-katha Sutra, Beawar, 1981, Introduction, p. 14 etc.
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