Life and Stories of Jaina Savior Parcvanatha

Author(s): Maurice Bloomfield
Publisher: Maurice Bloomfield

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Life and Stories of Pārçvanātha
gazelle, as does the shadow of the earth in the moon, 28 and that, without touch, he would nowise have found out what it was. He decided to make a present of it to King Vasu, who accepted it and rewarded the hunter; had it secretly fixed into the base of his throne; and then had the workmen who did this killed. The crystal had the effect of making the throne float in the air; this the people thought was due to the power of his truthfulness. The report was spread that the gods hovered about him on account of his truthfulness; in consequence he obtained the reputation called Ürjasvinī ( Mighty '), so that kings in fear of him became his vassals (558).
It came to pass that Nārada visited Parvata, who had become Kșīrakadarnba's successor as a teacher of the Vedas. He overheard the teacher explain the expression, ajāir yaşțavyam, by meşāir yaşțavyam, i. e., ' one should sacrifice goats. Nārada was scandalized.29 He insisted that ajāir in the phrase meant three-year old grain,' because that cannot be born again.30 Parvata referred to the authority of the Nighanțu,31 and insisted that Kșīrakadamba had interpreted it the other way. They finally bet that he who was wrong should have his tongue cut out, and that their former fellow-pupil, King Vasu should decide the controversy (567). Parvata's mother
* The moon is mrgānka having the figure of the deer,' or <açãnka, 'having the figure of the hare.'
* Such practice, as, indeed, all slaughter, is heinous in the eyes of Jains and Buddhists; e. g. Prabandhaointamani, pp. 93, 320; Mattakabhatta Jätaka (18); also Jātakas 20, 50. The idea is by no means strange to Brahmanism; see, e. g., how Mahābh. 14. 28. 6 ff. decries goat sacrifice as hinsă, ' injury.' Cf. Bühler, Über das Leben des Jaina Mönches Hemachan. dra, p. 39.
* trivārşikāņi dhānyāni na hi jāyanta ity ajāh. The same pun argument occurs Mahābh. 12. 337. 1 ff.; Pascatantra, 3. 2.
a Cf. Yāska's Nirukta 4. 25; 6. 4.