Lord Mahavira

Author(s): Bool Chand
Publisher: Jain Cultural Research Society

Page 37

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upon a misconstruction of certain verses in the Paumachariya and Avasyaka Niryukti. These books give in a comparative form the various details about the life of the Tirthankaras ; with reference to their status at the time of renunciation these books. mention that while the other Tirthankaras renounced the world after having been actual rulers over their states, Vasupujya (the 12th Tirthankara), Malli (the 19th Tirthankara), Nemi (the 22nd Tirthankara), Parsva (the 23rd Tirthankara), and Mahavira were still कुमार (i.e. princes).
मल्ली भरिद्वनेमी पासो वीरो य वासुपुज्जो ॥५॥ एए कुमारसीहा गेहाओ निगया जिणवरिन्दा। सेसा वि हु रायाणो पुहई भोत्तूण निक्सन्ता ॥५८॥
पउमचरिय • •। वीरं अरिद्वनेमि पास मल्लि च वासुपुज्जं च । एए मुसूण जिणे अवसेसा आसि रायाणो ॥२२१॥ रायकुलेसु वि जाया विसुद्धवंसेसु खत्तियकलेस। न य इच्छियाभिसेआ कुमारवासम्मि पव्वइया ॥२२॥
आवश्यकनियुक्ति । The same couplets, in Sanskrit, have been repeated in the Digambara books such as Padma-Purana and Harivam sa-Purana.
'वासुपूज्यो महावीरो मल्लिः पावो यदुत्तमः । कुमारा निर्गता गेहात् पृथिवीपतयोऽपरे ॥
पद्मपुराण २०.६७ । निष्क्रान्तिर्वासुपूज्यस्य मल्लेनैमिजिनान्त्ययोः । पञ्चानां तु कुमाराख्यां राज्ञां शेपजिनेशिनाम् ॥
हरिवंशपुराण ६०. २१४ ॥ It is clear that the word $T in these verses has been interpreted in its other meaning of 'celibate' by the later Digambara acharyas*; but it is also obvious
* It seems necessary to point out in this connection that the same interpretation has been accepted in a passage in the Samavayanga, a sutra in the Svetambara canon. As this is a solitary instance of such construction in the whole Svetambara literature, it points to the influence of the prevailing Digambara tradition and should help us to determine the date of the present text of this particular Sutra. The passage reads एगणवीसं तित्थयरा अगारवासमज्झे वसित्ता मुण्डे भवित्ता णं अगारामो अणगारि पव्वइया-समवायांग-१९.