Kavyanushasana Part 2

Author(s): Hemchandracharya, Rasiklal C Parikh, Ramchandra B Athvale
Publisher: Mahavir Jain Vidyalay

Page 93

¡LXXII
Kavyanusasana
an exception in case of great capitals like Pățaliputra, Ujjayini or Valabhi. The Daṣakumāracharita (before 700 A. D.) and the Kathasaritsagara which though comparatively a modern work utilizes very old materials, mention Valabhi as an important place.
According to the Jaina tradition Devarḍhigani Kshama Sramaņa redacted the Jaina canon to its present form in the year 980 or 993 after Mahāvīra that is, in the year 453 A. D. or in the year 466 A. D., in the city of Valabhi. An assembly of all the learned Jaina monks was called and an authoritative form was finally given to the Jaina canon. This proves the prominence of the city of Valabhi at the very beginning of the Maitraka rule.
Yuan Chang who came to Valabhi about the year 641 A. D. gives a description of the city which enables us to form some idea of its splendour. The Buddhist pilgrim says as follows:
"This country (Fa-la-pi) is 6000 li or so in circuit, the capital about 30. The character of the soil, the climate and the manners of the people are like those of the kingdom of Malava. The population is very dense; the establishments rich. There are some hundred houses (families) or so, who possess a hundred lakhs. The rare and valuable products of distant regions are here stored in great quantities. There are some hundred sanghāramas with about 6000 priests. Most of them study the Little Vehicle, according to the Sammatiya school. There are several hundred Deva temples with very many sectaries of different sorts.
When Tathagata lived in the world, he often