Book Title: Laghuprabandhsangrah
Author(s): Jayant P Thaker
Publisher: Oriental Research Institute Vadodra

View full book text
Previous | Next

Page 152
________________ Mahaņāştami and Caitrāstumi are mentioned among main festive days (5.4-5). Mahaņāştami appears to be the eighth day of the bright half of the month of Aśvina, even today known as Mahāstami; and Caitrāstami is most probably the eighth day of the bright half of the month of Caitra. Both these holy days are today characterized with goddess-worship and are celebrated as such throughout the whole nation by Hindus irrespective of their sects. Among fuels are mentioned wood-pieces ( 16.16) as well as dung-cakes ( 16. 11, 13, 13-14). Kaccolakas or cups ( 30.4) and Kamandalus or water-pots ( 30.14) are mentioned here among utensils. At one place (20.4) there is reference to the Gujarāti language. At another (74) we meet with a statement that Siddharāja J a y asimha was the king of the Gurjar a land of 70 thousands. This may probably mean either the population of the main land of Gujarāta proper or it may indicate the army of Gujarăta proper. A few lines after ( 7.11), however, it is stated that Siddha räja's army comprised 5 hundred thousand horsemen and 9 hundred thousand foot-soldiers. This large number included, of course, the armies of his feudatories also. A similar statement regarding Māla vā appears at 6.14-15, where king Siddharaja is stated to have been engaged in catching hold of the hair of the Mala v a glory of 18,92,000. The term 'glory' (lakşmi) tempts us to consider this figure as the amount of tribute paid to Siddha rāja by the king of Māla vā. It does not appear fair to regard it as indicative of the statistics of the annual income of that land, which, in all probability, would have been much more. There is a single reference to a golden time-piece (4.9). Two modes of expression also can be noticed. The bashfulness of females used to be indicated by covering the head ( with the upper garment) (1.16). The other reference is to the mode of requesting for a second betel-roll and chewing one. This is stated to have been done by placing one's palm on the shoulder (1.12-13). Such a gesticulation indicated probably the noble birth of the man (1.13). As regards general vices, we get references to prostitutes, bawds and gambling. The institution of prostitutes was a well--recognized one and could procure monetary aid from queens (1.9-10). There is a specific statement that the queen of the powerful king of Kalyäņa koți pura called Para mádi (i.e. Para marddin) donated a city on the borderline to prostitutes for maintenance. The bawds, too, had a place in the society and could nourish in their business. They were always in search of lovely Jain Education International For Private & Personal Use Only www.jainelibrary.org

Loading...

Page Navigation
1 ... 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253 254 255 256 257 258 259 260 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270 271 272 273 274 275 276 277 278 279 280 281 282 283 284 285 286 287 288 289 290 291 292 293 294 295 296 297 298 299 300