Risht Samucchaya

Author(s): Durgadevacharya, A S Gopani
Publisher: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

Page 69

THE RISTASAMUCCAYA
The RS and the ON1
The ON is an old authoritative Jaina work supposed to have been composed by Bhadrabahu. It takes a passing notice of the good omens such as a sound of the conch and the kettle drum, an appearance of an umbrella and a banner, a sight of a monk, white flower, curds and a flag. All these have been referred to as good omens indicating success (109 and 110). The ON is next to the Jain canon in importance. Thus a reference to omens and portents, in the ON, is, by all means, most significant. As far as the above omens and their meaning are concerned, the RS (st. 189) is in complete accord with the ON.
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The RS and the MBh
Certain phenomena which can prognosticate coming dangers have been found described in the S'antiparvan of the Mahabharata (MBh) also. But the RS widely differs from it regarding their implication and interpretation. Let us see that. The RS curses one who cannot see the lamp and the moon (st. 140) with immediate death in contradiction to the MBh which liberally grants the scope of a year's life (XII, 317; 9). The man whose life's duration is to be settled should see the shadow 20 of another man whose limbs are perfect and proportionate and while so doing if he finds certain limbs destroyed or distorted, in the shadow, he lives for specific periods mentioned for specific phenomena (RS, sts. 86-94; 96-106). But the MBh summarily puts the whole aspect, mentioning that he, who sees the shadow 25 deformed or deprived of a particular organ of the body, lives only for one year whether the deformed or destroyed organ may be head or heart (XII, 317; 10-11). The RS states to the effect that he who sees a hole either in the moon or the sun, continues for a year here (sts. 45, 46) while the MBh endows him a a six months' life (XII, 317; 13, 14). If the teeth become dark without any reason, he lives at the most for seven days, according to the RS (st. 34), but the MBh prescribes the worst for him (XII, 317; 15).
The RS and the VP
The RS assigns different periods if one sees disfigured
1 See App. III, p. 97.
2 See App. IV, pp. 97 f.
3 See App. V, p. 98.