Narrative Tale in Jain Literature

Author(s): Satyaranjan Banerjee
Publisher: Asiatic Society

Page 28

NARRATIVE TALE IN JAIN LITERATURE
13
victims of the wedding-feast; Rājīmatī's devotion to him and her consequent retirement; her eloquent chastisement of wavering Rathanemi who was enlightened by her; and the attainment of liberation after severe penances: the chapter Rahanemijjam (XXII), which nicely depicts these events, is a brilliant piece of ascetic poetry. The chapter Samjaïjjam (XVIII) gives some idea of the early capital of Jaina legends about ascetic heroes: some of the names of these outstanding persons are known to us from other sources. The list includes twelve Cakravartins, four Pratyekabuddhas and other kings like Udāyana, Kāśīrāja, Vijaya and Mahābala. Some of the legends like that of Miyāputta (chap. XIX) give a nice occasion for the text to present a good deal of didactic instruction, moral exhortation and dogmatic details.
Coming to the Paiņņas, some of them are full of references to stories about pious persons and ascetic heroes3. There was a nun Pupphacūlā at Poyanapura; her religious preceptor was Anniyāutta; while crossing the river Ganges he was thrown off from the boat; and he died piously and attained the highest object (s. 56-57). Amayaghosa of Kāyandī abdicated the throne for his son and toured all over the earth practising religion after mastering the scripture; when he returned to the metropolis, Candavega wounded his body; and when his limbs were being cut, he died and attained the highest object (S. 76-78). Avanti Sukumāla of Ujjayani heard one evening the description of Nalini-vimāna, was reminded of heaven, entered the ascetic order, and sat in steady meditation under a bamboo grove in a lonely corner of the cemetery. His body was being dragged and bitten piteously by a carnivorous jackal for three days. He was indifferent, firm like the mountain and tolerated the agony. When he
3. Taking into consideration the crucial names, an attempt is
made here to arrange them alphabetically. The references are to the Abgamodaya Samiti ed., Bombay 1927. See also Über die vom Sterbefasten handeluden ältern Päinna des Jaina-Kanons by Kurt von Kamptz, Hamburg 1929. In this section Bh. - Bhattaparinnā, M. - Maranasamāhi, S. - Samthāraga.