Jain Journal 1997 04

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

Page 15

112
JAIN JOURNAL : Vol-XXXI, No. 4 April 1997
gave way, and overwhelmed by the sense of his evil deeds, he retracted everything, declared that Mahāvīra alone was the true Jina, that he himself was only Gosāla, the son of Mankhali, and a wicked man, and that his Theras should bury him with every mark of dishonour and publicly proclaim his shame. Immediately afterwards he died (p. 1264a). Upon this the Theras closed the doors of the potter's shop, and within its precincts made a pretence of carrying out Mankhaliputta's instructions regarding a dishonourable burial; then they opened the doors again and gave his body a public burial with all honours according to his original instructions (p. 1265a). After these events Mahāvīra left Săvatthi, and after wandering about some time, at last came to the Salakotthaya cheżya near the town of Midhiyagama, where there was a fine flourishing arbour of the Mālukā creeper. In that town there lived a married woman, Revai by name (p. 1266a). Soon after his arrival Mahāvīra got a very severe attack of bilious fever, and all the people of the town thought that Gosala's prophecy was going to be fulfilled, and that Mahāvīra would die in a paroxysm of fever after six months. This greatly troubled the mind of one of Mahāvira's disciples, called Siha, who was going through a course of asceticism in the vicinity of the Malukā arbour; so much so that retiring into the arbour he began to weep aloud (p. 1267). On hearing his voice, Mahāvira sent his Nigganthas to call him. They went and called Siha. Mahāvīra then comforted him, telling him that he was so far from dying through Gosāla's curse, that he would yet live for sixteen years longer the life of a Jina (p. 1269a). He further instructed him to go to the woman Revai and tell her, that there was no need of the two pigeons which she had been cooking for him, but that there was the flesh of a cock killed the day before by a cat. - that she should send (p. 1269 a)*. Siha did as he had been instructed, and obtaining from Revai that flesh, placed it in the hands of Mahāvīra, who voraciously gulped
This is the literal interpretation (shrūyamānam ev'ārtham) of the words of the text; and the commentary says that some people interpret them in that way; but it adds, that others interpret it differently. They take kavoya (Skr. kapota) 'pigeon' to be a species of gourd (kuşmanda), so called on account of its colour; and majjāra (Skr. märjāra) 'cat' they take to be a species of plant, commonly called virālikā or vidālikā or vidārikä (the latter also means a female cat'), and kukkuda to be a synonym of vijapūra 'a citron.' Hence they would interpret there was no need of the two gourds which she had been cooking for him, but that there was the pulp of citrons seasoned with virālikā the day before, - that she should send.' The comm. further adds a third interpretation, agreeing with the second in everything, except that it takes majjara to mean a certain kind of morbid affection of the windy humour (väyu) for which the pulp of citrons was a remedy.