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The Anuttara Upapătika Sutra The prevalence of polygamy suggests that in the big cities and amongst the well-to-do castes of north India, specially amongst the Vaishyas and Khsatriyas, and even amongst the Brahmins the number of women was far greater than the number of men ! Children born in affluent families were looked after by aiat nurses acoording to their age. The festivities in connection with the admission of the devotees to the order of monks were often led by rulers of states, whore, Jitashatru etc. Such leadership is assigned elsewhere to Shri Krishna of Dwarka. I may now refer to an important fact which has been recorded in the Sūtra. We are told that each one of the thirty-three Antēvåsis, when he saw that the end was fast impending of his earthly existence, thanks to the extremely severe penance which he had been practising under Mahavira's permission, went to mount Vipula-fagas to go through the last stage of the penancenamely údaar. He was accompanied by senior monks-refar who kept in attendance on him day and night. These Sthaviras kept to their duty till the penance was completed and the monk was dead. Then they prayed, recited the Navakkara mantra and descending on to the plains below, presented to Mahavira-3197 #15a-the pots (of wood) which were used by the deceased. Thus Mount Vipula near the city of Rajagriha was reserved for the performance of the last phase of the penance.
॥थेरेहिं सद्धि विउलं दूरुहइ, मासिया सलेहणा, नव मासपरियाओ, जाव कालमासे कालं सिञ्चा उड्ढे दूरं वीईवइत्ता सवट्ठसिद्धे विमाणे देवताए, उववण्णे, थेर थेरा तहेव ओयरंति जाव इमे से आयारभंडए ।।
The Sūtra pays the most eloquent tribute to the severity of Dhanna's penance. The entire narrative is exceedingly insotrutive on account of its rhapsody and rherotics and the comparisions which are instituted by the narrator. I give the comparision for the readers' enlightenment. The exaggeration of the description deserves our sympathy.
Dhanna's limbs were so emaciated on account of the severity of his penance that his legs were like the bark of a dried up tree or shoes of wood or worn out footwear. The Toes and fingers of legs were like off-shoots of mung or adad removed from the main stalk, The waist was like that of a grow, a Kanka bird or a peaben. His
