Narrative Tale in Jain Literature

Author(s): Satyaranjan Banerjee
Publisher: Asiatic Society

Page 19

NARRATIVE TALE IN JAIN LITERATURE
a 'higher status of life in the next birth. It is quite probable that many of them are factual in origin referring to historical ascetics, though the details might have got elaborated in course of time. Sometimes their names are simply referred to, and it is the commentators that supply the necessary details.
Besides the casual references to Siśupāla, Dvipāyana, Parāśara etc, the Sūyagadam refers to the story of Ārdraka about whom the Niryukti and the commentaries give interesting details. The text shows how he refuted Gośāla, a Buddhist, a Vedāntin and a Hasti-tāpasa. After defeating the opponents he was going to Mahāvira; an elephant broke the chains and rushed against him, but on approaching him, bent on its knees to salute him. King Srenika, who witnessed the scene, wondered how the elephant could break the chains. Ardraka replied that it was still more strange that a man could break the fetters of worldliness. Often we meet with discussions and doctrinal clarification between the pupils of Pārsva, and those of Mahāvīra in texts like Uttarādhyayana. More than once pious men and women, such as Sivarāja, Sudarsana, Samkha, Somila, Jayanti etc. (in the Bhagavati) approach Mahāvīra and get some dogmatical explanation.
There are many stories, definitely didactic, which illustrate the consequences of good and bad deeds. In the Nāyādhammakahão, prince Meha, when he is growing mentally unsteady, is confirmed in his faith in the ascetic life by Mahāvīra who narrates to him how he, in his earlier life as an elephant, had protected a hare by patiently holding up the foot. The merchant Dhanna, who is chained together with the murderer of his son, had to partake meals with him out of sheer physical necessity; similarly the monks should eat food etc. simply to sustain the body, and not to grow strong or to look well, so that they might carry on their religious duties. King Selaga who was converted to the creed of Ariştanemi becomes negligent about his duties being addicted to wine, but is duly enlightened by one of his faithful pupils. The story exhorts the monks to be vigilent about the details of ascetic life. Mallī is destined to be born a female as a result of a bit of hypocrisy in the religious practices in an earlier life; and