Jain Journal 1989 07

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

Page 30

JULY, 1989
observance as preached and practised by Parsvanatha, for some Jaina followers of parts of the district of Hazaribagh, Ranchi and Manbhum were said to have practised the same even at the end of the 19th century A.D. The Bhagavati-sūtra mentions that Mahavira once spent a rainy season at Paniyabhumi. The Jaina Kalpasūtra too records that the rainy season was spent by the great Jaina leader at Paniyabhumi (Paniyabhumi anarya desavisesā). This place was possibly inhabited by the merchant community (panya-panita-paniya) and the place has been located by commentators in Vajrabhumi ('terrible indegenes') within Radha country. But, the point is where actually this region was located? According to some, it was equivalent to Birbhum, while according to others it may conveniently located either in Manbhum or in Dhalbhum or in Bankura. But it seems to me that the land comprised of stony or lateritic sterile and hard regions of West Bengal and the eastern escarpments of the Chotanagpur plateau bordering the former state, for the word Vajra means hard or sterile. It has perhaps nothing to do with Vraja or Vrajabhumi or Bajiraghara, as suggested by some. The district of Manbhum however, derives its name from the Manavarjakas or Manavarttikas, mentioned in the Mahābhārata (IX. 357), and the Märkandeya Purāṇa (LVII, 43). It may incidentally be mentioned that Manbhum, which lies to the east of the Chotanagpur Division of Bihar comprised a portion of the Jharkhand region, an indefinitely extensive area, coterminous with the Jungle Mahal' tracks. In the opinion of Col. Dalton, the great Anthropologist, the Jungle Mahals district of the 19th century was the land of the 'Bhumijas' and comprised of the district of Burdwan as well as parts of the district of Birbhum, Bankura, Midnapur, Santal Parganas and the eastern districts of the Chotanagpur Division. As to the sterile character of Radha, comprising this Vajrabhumi, we have the evidence of epigraphic records and literature. The northern Radha, according to the Bhuvanesvara-Prasasti of Bhatta Bhavadeva (circa 11th century A.D.) and the Prabodha-candrodaya-nāṭaka of Krsna Misra, also of the same date, was a sterile or barren region, lacking in water and consisting of pathless tracks in jungles etc. Subbhabhumi has been identified by some with Singhbhum, but the consensus of opinions would equate with ancient Suhma-desa comprising south-western part of Bengal.
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Regarding Mahavira's travel in Radha it is further said in the Jaina Kalpasūtra that Vardhamana-Mahavira spent the first rainy season at Asthika-grama (Lec. V., Sec. 122), which according to its commentator was formerly known as Vardhamana. But, to my mind it appears that the commentary of the relevant passage in it has not been rightly interpreted, for it was the intention of the commentator to explain that the name of Asthikagrama was changed to Vardhamana, after the visit of