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28
Lord Mahavīra and His Times
They insist upon the mutual cordial relations between the teachers and students. A list of holidays in the Gurukulas has been given, and it is obvious that interruptions in study were allowed for a variety of causes and circumstances. In these Sūtras we also find references to icons, The Gțihya Sutras are concerned mainly with domestic rituals.
The Ashțādhyāyī of Pāṇini has been used because it supplies valuable political and cultural data of this age. He mentions both classes of states, viz., the republics (Sangha or Gaña) and the kingdoms (Janapadas). That women followed the profession of teaching is apparent from his work which also embodies certain terms that denote the existence of the art of writing. The author discusses town-planning and also refers to some important towns. His work contains references to images.
The traditions preserved in the Purānas form an important source of information for the history of Mahāvīra's time. The fifth and the last section known as Vamšanucharita of some Purāņas gives an account of the kings of the ruling dynasties. The names of some of these kings ruling over Magadha, Avanti, Kāśi, Košala etc., are accepted as fairly reliable, because they are partially corroborated by both Jaina and Buddhist literatures.
ARCHAEOLOGY
Though no written record of this period is extant, the monuments and antiquities discovered in the archacological excavations conducted at different places are hclpful for the purpose of historical reconstructions. The existence of some early cities such as Rājagriha, Vārāṇasī, Mathurā, Śrāvasti, Ujjain and Hastināpura is proved by archacological findings. City-walls, fortifications and parts of urban settlement have been excavated, giving us a rough idea of town-planning during this period.
The actual remains of the buildings of this period are few because of the perishable nature of the materials used in those days. The existence of the carly structures of Släpas
