Jain Journal 1997 04

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

Page 26

HOERNLE : THE DOCTRINE OF GOSĀLA MANKHALIPUTTA
123
The expression hundreds of wandering mendicants (paribhājakasate) means hundreds of formal professions of wandering mendicancy.
The expression hundreds of abodes of Nagas (nāgāvāsa-sate) means hundreds of regions (inhabited) of Nāgas.
The expression twenty hundreds of sensible distinctions (vise indriya-sate) means twenty hundreds (2000) of sensible distinctions. 15
The expression thirty hundreds of hells (timse niraya-sate) means thirty hundreds (3000) of hells.
The expression dust-depositories (rajo dhātuyo), that is, places on which dust gathers, he uses with reference to tables16 (hattha-pitha), footstools (pāda-pitha), etc.
The term seven (kinds of beings) produced from sentient beings (satta saññi-gabbhā) he uses with reference to camels, oxen, asses, goats, sheep (pasu), deer, and buffaloes.
The expression produced from insentient beings (asaññi-gabbha) he uses with reference to the seven kinds of cereals) rice, barley, wheat, mugga-beans, kangu-millet, varaka-beans and kudrūsakagrain.
The expression produced from an inter-joint (niganthi-gabbhā), that is, 'taking their rise in a joint,' he uses with reference to sugar-cane, bamboo, reeds, and so forth.17
His expression seven (kinds of devas (satta devā) refers to the numerous devas, whom he, however, declares to be (of) seven (kinds).
The men (mānusā), who are also numberless, he declares to be (of) seven (kinds).
By the expression seven (kinds of pisachas (satta pisacha) he means
translation ascribed to the heresiarch Ajita, possibly through a mere misunderstanding or through a confusion of the original Tibetan pages;
but they seem clearly to belong to Gosāla; see note 4. 15. I suppose, by the term indriya are here intended “principles" like the
thirty-three enumerated in Childers' Dictionary, under indriya. 16. Or counters of shops, etc. 17. Instead of this clause, the parallel passage in Rokhill (Life of the Buddha,
p. 103) has a clause speaking of "seven (births) as asuras."