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Mahâvîra'S Dynasty : Naga or Jnata
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Thavaccaputta in the jaina literature and Sariputta in the Buddhistic literature. These are after the names of their mothers. Siddhatthaputta is after the name of the father. "Naya” in any way is not connected with father or mother. It is the name of a clan. The Anuyogadvara Sutra gives a detailed exposition of the system of nomenclature. There we find Sthapana (based on family pride) as a kind of nomenclature. In its exposition it has been stated that such names as Ugga, Bhoja, Khattiya, Ikkahaga Nata and Koravva are clan names. Mahâvîra's clan was Nava or Nata and for that he was known as Jnatraputra or Jnatasutta. Some modern scholars like Rahul Sankrityayana think “Jnatri” to be the correct Skt. form of Nava. On its basis they connect the clan of Mahâvîra with that of Jatharia or the land-plowers of Bihar. But it is apparent that both the words Jnata and Jnatri are incorrect. The clan to which Mahâvîra belonged was Naga. The Skt. form of Nayaputta may also be Nagaputta. The curnis are in Prakrit. They contain the word Naya or Nata. Occasionally Jnata is also found. During the period of Tikas (commentaries) the mistake became more glaring. The majority of the commentators took the word Jnata. As far as our knowledge goes Abhayadeva Suri is the first commentator who has used Naga as the SKt. of Naya. In his vritti to the Aupapatika (Sutra 14) he has explained Naya as “Jnata” or “Naga" "(Nagavamsi)” i.e. belonging to the Naga clan). In his Vritti to the 27th Sutra of the same Agama he has given Nagavamsi as the principle meaning and Jnatavamsi as its mere alternative. In Sutra-kritanga (2/1/9)". We find Ikkhaga, Ikkhagaputta, Naya, Nayaputta, Koravva, Korawaputta. One of the four manuscripts (written in 1581 V.S.) of it used by us for the critical edition of the text given Naga and Nagaputta in place of Naya and Nayaputta. We don't find Jnata as a noted clan in the Indian history. But the Naga clan occupies a significant place. In the age of Mahâvîra Nagas lived in or around Vaisali.
In a narration of the battle that took place between Cetaka, the leader of Vaisali republic (Ganarajya) and Ajatasatru Konika, a person named Varuna is mentioned.' One of his severai adjectives is Naganattue i.e. grandson of the Naga.
According to Visnu Purana nine Naga Kings lived in Padmavati, Nagas had their dominion in Rajasthan also. In
