Nirgrantha-1

Author(s): M A Dhaky, Jitendra B Shah
Publisher: Shardaben Chimanbhai Educational Research Centre

Page 73

N. P. Joshi
Nirgrantha
etc. The Purāna further tells us that the Asuras embraced the new faith and went to Narmadā for tapas. They very willingly gave up their kingdom in favour of Indra. The Devi Bhāgavata brings a slight change in the end. It introduces Devī, who asks the Asuras to proceed to Pātāla and await favourable moment.
Conversion of the sons of King Rāji
Leaving the cases of the Daityas and the Asuras , we now pass on to the human beings. King Rāji , grandson of Pururavā, was a powerful ruler and friendly with Indra. His sons, however, became hostile to Indra and as a result, Brhaspati led them astray by teaching them the false doctrines. The episode has been described in the Visnu 27, the Vāyu, the Matsya”, and the Padmapurāņa 24. It occurs in the Harivamsa as well as. Descriptions of the Vişnu and the Vāyu are fairly close, though one is in prose, the other in verse. The Harivaṁśa follows the same with some alterations. Similarly, the verses in the Matsya and the Padma are common and the description is elaborate.
The story is that, when King Rāji was on throne, there broke a war between the Devas and the Asuras . Victory to the either side depended on Räji's help. Both approached the King for help, but the king said that he would side the party which would accept him as their Indra. The Daityas did not agree to this condition, but the Devas had no objection. The war went in favour of the Devas and Rāji was to become the new chief. But Indra, the former chief of the gods, flattered Rāji and declared himself as his son. Rāji laughed at Indra's behaviour and allowed him to continue. Now, Rāji had 105/500 sons, who after their father's demise, claimed Indra's seat and when not agreed upon, threw him out of the power. Thereupon Indra requested Brhaspati for help. According to the Visnu and the Vāyu, Bệhaspati performed some Tántric rites (abhicāra-karma) giving birth to certain misconceptions (buddhi-moha) in the minds of the Rājeyas or sons of Rāji, as a result of which they started disregarding the Vedic faith (Veda-vāda), and became hostile towards the Brāhmaṇas and abandoned the religion (brahma-dvesi, dharma-tyāgi) and ultimately succumbed.
The Vişnupurāna and the Vāyupurāna do not name any heterodox faith as such. The Harivamsa, though following the same line, is more elaborate and describes that Brhaspati preached nästi-vādārtha-śāstra, causing dharma-vidveşa among the Rājeyas, who, as a result, became vidharmi 2. The terms nāstivādārtha and references to the particular Tarka-śāstra apparently suggests Syādvāda and the Jaina-nyāya.
The Matsya and the Padmapurāņa, which perhaps owe to some other common source, name the faith taught by Brhaspati as "Jaina-dharma" 27.