________________
A. M. SHASTRI
93.
their penance (XIII. 116). Referring to the duties of a king. after the conquest of a new territory, the work recommends that he should worship the gods, elderly people, Brāhmaṇical ascetics or Brahmacārins (lingastha), Brāhmaṇas and teachers and make revenue-free land grants (XIII.181).74a No mention is made in this connection of Jain monks which would be reasonably expected of a Jain author. Again, while dealing with the ut pātas relating to divine images, the author first names Brāhmaṇical gods and goddesses like Vaiśravaņa, Candra, Varuņa, Rudra, Indra, Baladeva, 76 Vasudeva, 76 Pradyumna, Sūrya, Śrī, Viśvakarman, Bhadrakālī,77 Indrāņi, Dhanvantari, Jāmadagnya Rāma (Paraśurāma) and Sulasā (XIV. 62-81), and it is only while summarising the whole thing again that mention is made of the images of the Arhats (XIV. 82). One would be justified in expecting a Jain author to accord the Tirthařkara images a place of honour and others a secondary place. The case is, however, just the opposite. And lastly, the author is not only familiar with, but gives great importance to the Brāhmaṇical system of the four Varņas. Thus, while describing the effects of astrological phenomena on worldly life, he generally begins with the mention of the four castes in the prescribed order. He also appears to believe in the traditional association of colours and castes and freqently refers to white, red, yellow and black phenomena as particularly affecting the Brāhmaṇas, Kșatriyas, Vaisyas and
74a Cf. XX1.54 which recommends the worship, among others, of those initiated for the performance of Vedic sacrifices, manes and Brāhmanas for warding of the effects of the appearance of evil comets.
75 The reading in the relevant verse is balandeve (XIV.68) and there is also a variant, bale kaścin, which gives no sense. The correct reading, particularly as Vāsudeva is mentioned in the following stanza, must be Baladeve, which has been corrupted to balandeve in the interest of the metre.
76 The mention of Vāsudeva after Baladeva points to the earlier period when Vira-worship was popular. The verse in question (XIV.69), as well as the preceding one, therefore, appears to have been taken from some carly text.
77 Gopani's ed. gives the reading bhadrastāli (XIV.75) which is , obviously a mistake for Bhadrakāli as given by Shastri.
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
