Jain Journal 1997 10

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

Page 23

JAIN JOURNAL: Vol-XXXII, No. 2 October 1997
by the merchant community (panya-panita-panitya) place has been located by commentators in Vajrabhūmi ('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 Bankurā, 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 Chotenagpur plateau bordering the former state, for the word Vajra means hard or sterile. It has perhaps nothing to do with Vracha or Vrajabhūmi or Bājiraghara, as suggested by some. The district of Manbhum, however, derives its name from the Manavarjakas' or 'Manavarttikas', mentioned in the Mbh. (IX. 357) and the Mark. Purana (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 Maha" 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 districts of Birbhum, Bānkurā, Midnapur, Santal Pargar as 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 BhuvanesvaraPrasasti of Bhatta Bhavadeva (cir. 11th cent. A.D.) and the Prabodhachandrodaya-nataka of Kṛṣṇa 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-Mahāvīra spent the first rainy season at Asthika-grāma (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 Asthikagrāma was changed to Varddhamana, after the visit of Mahāvīra in that region. Whatever that may be, the Jaina Kalpasutra, in question, refers to a legend amounting for the change of the name, viz. one Yakṣa Sulapāni collected an enormous heap bones of people on which was built a temple by the people afterwards. The place may be identified with modern of Burdwan. There is a temple called Sat Deuliya at the village of Devliya, a Jaina settlement, not far away from Burdwan Town. It may incidentally be