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Devananda's Draam
An Interpretation of its Symbolism
of heaven a white elephant resplendent with glory, and lighting up the world, accompanied by music and sounds of rejoicing and whitest accompanying Devas scatter ilowers and incense, the elephant approaches her' 'This dream was interpreted by Sooth-sayers as an exceedingly fortunate one, because it meant the descend of a holy spirit in the womb' However, white elephant in a dream is an old symbol It is said in the Ramayana that the maid-servant of Ravana, Trisala, in the service of Sita, saw a dream in which Rama appeared with Sita as riding on a four tusked white elephant 21 The belief in good and bad dreams is also very common in the Puranas Brahmavaivarta, 22 Devi23 and Matsya24 Puranas describe dream symbols in details Some of the medicinal books25 of the early centuries of the Christian era also describe the results of auspicious symbols and objects seen in dreams
Although Jains also adopted the old tradition of auspicious dreams, yet it is surprising that Jain Sutra literature doesnot describe or unfold the meaning of the dream symbols independently It is Sthanaga Sutra26 where, only once, we find the description and meaning of ten dreams seen by Mahavira himself in his itinary, before realization of final knowledge Elsewhere we are only told that Siddhartha, the father, al ways "firmly fixed the dream in his own innate intelligence and intuition which were preceded by reflections” 27 Or it was supposed to be the work of Nimittapathakas to unfold the meaning of the dream According to the Jain tradition Nimitta-pathakas are said to have been called by Siddhartha to interpret the dream28 seen by Trisala, the mother of Mahavira 21 Ramayana, Sundarkanda 22 In the Kanda dealing with the life of Krsna, adhyaya, 63, 70, 77 and 80 23 Devipurana, 22 24 Matsyapurona, 242 25 Medical books like Astangahrdaya of Vagbhata Sarangddhara Samhita (1.3 21-25) and Carakasamhita (V 45 46) describe svapna sakuna Cf Sabdakal padruma under Soapra 26 SBE, XXII, p 219 27 10-3, Su 750, Vol. II, pp 499 ff 28 In Kal pasutra (Muni Punya Vijaya ed ) nimittapathakas called Suapnasastra pathakas They speak of 30 mahasuapnas of which 14 visit the mother of tirthan karas (sutra 71) cf also UP shah, op cit, p, 105, fn 1
