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Shri Mahavir Jain Aradhana Kendra
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Acharya Shri Kailassagarsuri Gyanmandir
124
Literary battles also were in vogue ( 273: 30.20-31.2; 31.8). It was customary among dialecticians to throw straw and water in the residence olan opponent as a token of challenge for an open dialectical contest ( 30.8). A dialectician from Bengal, having been intoxicated due to a succession of victories, used to tie to (lit. beneath) his legs as many as 84 put!alakas (30.7-8). The great disputation with him is stated to have continued for no less than eighteen days ( 31,1). Being deieated at last, he died of heart-bursting (31.1-2). It was the usual practice, as appears from our text, to utilize the wealth belonging to a defeated and dead disputant for purposes of the religion of the victorious dialectician ( 31.2 ff.).
There is a reference to a peculiar mode of justice through ordeals acceptable to the parties concerned (27.15 ff. ; 28.13 ff.). References to policeufficers are also met with in nur text ( 23.20 : 29.2). There is a relerence to locking rooms from inside ( 12.8).
T'he cities were surrounded by protective walls and possessed buge gates through which alone one could secure an entry therein ( 8.2, 5; 9.1; 29-31. Usually cities were situated in vicinity of rivers ( 134). The strects of the cities were, in many cases, wamed after the communities swelling thereia or the profession of the same ( 10.4).
Labourers ( 15.11, 17, 19: 16.1) used to wait for work at cross-roads in the city-bazaars (15.11, 12).
At one place it is tauntingly stated that the weight of the head of a ksapanaka was just 32 palas ( 24-7). Pala was the unit of weighing and the usual table of weights given elsewhere is as under :
1 Pula = + Karşas,
Korşa = 16 Māsas, and i Maşa = 3 Guðjās; one Gunija being equal to 2 i grains. Similarly yojana ( 25.5. II) and gavyúli are stated ainong the measures of distances. A yojana is roughly equivalent to eight miles and a gavysti to two miles,
Ainong meta s special reference is made to gold ( 4.2, 9, IT ; 9.; 27.3), silver ( 4.2, 9, 11), copper (4.1) and iron ( 28.13).
As to coinage we get references to the Drammas (29.; 30.12 ). The mint also is referred to once ( 47.13). Among precious belonging; are mentioned gems (12.3, 7, 11; 16.11, 14; 22.20; 27,13, 14).
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