Rushibhashit Sutra

Author(s): Vinaysagar, Sagarmal Jain, Kalanath Shastri, Dineshchandra Sharma
Publisher: Prakrit Bharti Academy

Page 216

he neglects everyone including parents, teacher, king, and gods, Desire is at the root of loss of wealth, bondage, separation from king, life, and death. As such desires should be conquered; because desirelessness is the basis of bliss. The second and third verses of this chapter are also available in the thirty sixth chapter of Rishibhashit with little verbal variations. Similarly the statement, Jaha Thamam Jaha Balam Jadha Viriyam' can also be found in Dashvaikalik.
41. INDRANAG
The forty first chapter of Rishibhashit is about the Arhat Rishi named Indranag. Besides Rishibhashit Indranag's mention is also available in Avashyak-niryukti, 300 Visheshavashyak-bhashya, 301 Avashyak-churni, 302 Haribhadra Vritti of Avashyak, 303 and Sheelank commentary of Acharang: 304 He was famous as a child ascetic. Ganadhar Gautam contacted him. He is said to be an inhabitant of Jeernapur (Jinnapur). I have not been able to find anything about him from Buddhist and Vedic traditions. Jain sources also confirm that he was a contemporary of Mahavir; this also has traditional acceptance.
As regards the preachings of Indranag in Rishibhashit are concerned, he first of all states that the penance or good deed done for livelihood is meaningless. A man indulging in mundane passion destroys himself. Monkhood should not be made a profession. A monk should also not earn his living through teaching, magical spells, massage carrying prophecizing etc. Thus the theme of his discourse is to practice discipline, rising above the mundane desires. Generally speaking this preaching can be found at many places. The thirteenth verse of this chapter is available verbatim in Uttaradhyayan and Dhammapad. Similarly the sixteenth verse is also available in the twelfth chapter of Rishibhashit, titled Jannavakk (Yajnavalkya), and with little verbal variation in Dashvaikalik also.
42-45. SOMA, YAMA, VARUNA AND VAISHRAMAN
The last four chapters of Rishibhashit are about Soma, Yama, Varuna, and Vaishraman respectively. Although they have
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