Jain Stories 01

Author(s): Mahendramuni, K C Lalwani
Publisher: A B Jain Shwetambar Terapanth Samaj

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extensive trade connections not only within their own state and region, but also with other states and regions, sometimes very far off. Quite a number of them were sea-faring. We have the names of many important ports which were then in use Some of these merchants had more wealth' than what was contained in the king's treasury. Apart from usual professions and crafts, dream interpretation appears to have been an important profession which claimed many people. Prostitution was another important institution People coming from outside, notably merchants, halted outside the city walls, giving the idea of an extensive suburb which was separated from the city by a wall. Monks used to camp outside the city, mostly in structures dedicated to the yaksas Vidyadharas were a species of human beings who were in possession of some special vidyas or powers, particularly flying There were other powers which some people possessed, e g, power to transform oneself into any form, power to understand the language of animals, etc, etc Quite a number of stories throw light on administration, law and order, justice, crime and punishment etc , and many of them make use of supernatural elements or are delineated in a medieval setting or mythological language which may not appeal much to a modern mind. In many cases, the same type of incident is repeated in more than one story which may be detested by a reader who is seeking fresh things all the time But this has been done for the sake of emphasis, and is not wholly redundant
In almost all' the stories, renunciation has been upheld as te most laudable means for attaining the ideal of life This is in a sense connected with the idea of the transmigration of the soul which is widely accepted in all the Indian systems. This life has been viewed as a microscopic fraction of an eternal life, no bigger than a step from the past into the future. And if this step is to be a worthy one, then one must improve the quality of life