Life in Ancient India as Depicted in Jain Canons

Author(s): Jagdishchandra Jain
Publisher: New Book Company

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LIFE IN ANCIENT INDIA
prevalent at the time of Ajja Rakkhiya. We learn from the Avasyaka Curnit that when Ajja Rakkhiya initiated his family, his father was not willing to discard clothes due to modesty; he felt shy to move about naked in the presence of his daughters and daughters-in-law. Later on, with great persuasion he accepted a kadipatta which was replaced by a colapatta in course of time
Then we come to Sivabhu, who is said to have led the bodyas after six hundred and nine years of Mahavira's death, in Rahavirapura. It is said that Sivabhui was in the service of the king of Rahavirapura and he used to return home very late at night. One day his wife did not open the door of the house and Sivabhui straight away went to the residence of the monks and asked for pavvajjā The monks refused to ordain him thus, whereupon Sıvabhui by himself plucked out his hair and automatically he became a monk, and practised Jinakappa. His sister followed him by joining his order Kodinna and Kottivira are stated to be the first two disciples of Sıvabhui 80
This is the legend about schism told by the Svetambaras. The Digambaras relate another legend about the origin of the schism which differs from that of the Svetambaras According to this, during the reign of Candragupta in Ujjeni Bhadrabahu predicted that there would be a terrible famine in the country which would last for twelve years. At this Visakhācārya, a disciple of Bhadrabahu led the Sangha to the Punnata kingdom, while Ramilla, Sthulabhadra and Bhadracārya, emigrated to the country of Sindhu In course of time when all of them returned to Ujjeni, there was still famine in the country, so they allowed the monks to wear a piece of garment (ardhaphalakam purah krrtva) while going for alms. When the famine was over, however, the monks were asked to give up the use of the garment since it was not in pursuance of the strict requirement of Mahavira's order, but some monks would not follow their elders' advice Thus came into existence the schism of the Digambara and svetambaras in the Jain order.81
82
It may be stated that both these legends are of sufficiently late origin and hence cannot be relied upon fully. In fact, the division of Jains in svetämbara and Digambara community was a gradual process, and in the early history of Jainism the Church was not divided into sects. The Jain inscriptions of the first and second century A D. found at the Kankali Tila Mathura also do not show any trace of schism in the Jain Church. We have already noticed that both practices wearing clothes or going undressed were allowed in the Jain Church although Mahavira himself went about naked In course of time the difference regarding the question of a monk wearing clothes became more and more acute
TO P 406 f
30 la Bha 145f, A.a Cu P 427 f
81 Brhathathakosa 131, Emgrapha Carnatica, Vol II (Revised), pp 36 ff, also see Bhāvasangraha of Devasena (Bombay, V S. 1978), pp 35-9, Bhadrabahucarita by Bhattaraka Ratna. nandi (Bombay 1912)
82 rf Schubring, op cit, p G..