Narrative Tale in Jain Literature

Author(s): Satyaranjan Banerjee
Publisher: Asiatic Society

Page 21

NARRATIVE TALE IN JAIN LITERATURE
the headless trunk of Sumsumā just to save their life; similarly the monks and nuns are to eat food etc. merely to sustain their body and enable themselves to carry out their ascetic duties. Such monks finish their journey safely like Dhanna and his sons. The layman king Puņdarīka allows his brother Kandarīka to enter the order and tries to help him to continue as a monk when he is sick and ailing. A second time he is not successful, so they interchange their places. Kandarīka finds the pleasures of royalty to be painful and goes to hell after death; while Pundarika becomes a worthy monk and attains liberation. The lesson of the story is quite apparent that monks should follow Pundarika's example. All these stories have some lesson or the other for devoted monks.
The Uvāsagadasāo presents ten narratives which are pattern-stories, glorifying the lay-followers that are an example for others. They are all put as contemporaries of Malāvira who prescribes the elaborate vows followir they attain liberation in due course. Ananda is a model Uvāsaga who acquires Avadhi-jñāna by practising the vows and observances. Kāmadeva, Cūlanīpiya, Surādeva and Cullasayaya stick to their vows in spite of external temptations and threats : even when life was in danger, when relatives were persecuted, and when their health and possessions were at stake. Kundakoliya is firm in his faith and could not be tempted to the creed of Gosāla. Saddälaputta is converted from the Ajivika faith to the creed of Mahāvīra; and it was not possible for Gosala to win him back. Mahāsayaya was a pious house-holder; his vicious wife tried to tempt him, but was consequently cursed by him that she should be born in hell; Mahāvīra told him to repent and confess for his curse which he did, and attained liberation in due course. Nandiņīpiya and Sālihīpiya are pious householders that attain liberation duly. These stories are moulded in such a pattern that it is possible to multiply them to any number by simply changing the names etc. : the purpose is the same, though the names and a few other details differ. Dadhapažnna appears to be a symbolical name for a soul that has developed firm faith and thus attains liberation: his biography is found both in the Uvavāiya and Rāyapasenažjja.