________________
Jinabhadra Gani's
[The sixth
UT
Thus advised by the preceptor, Rohagupta studied all the methods. In addition to that, he was also supplied with a consecrated with a spell by his preceptor with instructions that he should wave it over his own head for the prevention of any other trouble created by parivrājaka.
Rajoharana*
: 164:
Rohagupta, then, went to the Royal Assembly, and said "What does this poor mendicant know? Let him open any topic he likes, I will refute it. The shrewd parivrājaka knew that Rohagupta was very clever, and so, he thought of opening the tropic with the acceptance of Rohagupta's own principles, so that, Rohagupta would not be able to refute the same.
He, then, opened the topic with this remark:- Like the two categories of good and evil, there are only two categories of (1) Jivas or animate beings and (2)A-jïvas or in-animate ones in this world. This theory is acceptable to the Jainas, but for the sake of defeating the mendicant, Rohagupta refuted it by saying that all the objects in the Universe, could be divided into three categories :-Jiva, A-jīva and No -jiva. Hellish denizens, tiryancas manusyas etc come under the category of Jiva. Atoms, and ghata, pata etc are Ajivas and the dissected limbs such as a tail etc. of animals like house- lizard etc would come under the category of No-jiva. He argued that, like the three categories of best, medium, and the lowest, found in this world, there were three categories, of Jivas. A-Jīvas, and No-jívas in the Universe.
The parivrjaka was defeated' by such an unexpected argument. So, being naturally enraged at Rohigupta, the parivrajaka, let loose his scorpions upon him. Rohagupta removed them with the help of his pea-cocks. In this way, the mendicant tried to defy Rohagupta by means of serpent, mice, deer, boars, crows and parrots, while Rohagupta over-powered all of them by means of mangeese, cats, tigers, lions, owls, and hawks respectively.
* Rajoharara a sacred broom of wool-threads always carried by Jaina Monks and Nuns for the purpose of cleaning beds, seats, etc. without inflicting any injury to vermin and insects which may happen to be there.
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