Some Aspects of Jainism in Eastern India

Author(s): Pranabananda Jash
Publisher: Munshiram Manoharlal Publisher's Pvt Ltd New Delhi

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Some Aspects of Jainism in Eastern India
In fact, the Jaina religion was firmly established in the lower Gangetic region in the Maurya period. A tradition recorded in the Brhat Kathūkośa of Harișeņa, composed in AD 931, says that the Jaina preceptor and saint, Bhadravāhu, the reputed spiritual guide of Candragupta Maurya, was born at Devikoța, synonymous with Koțivarşa, i.e., modern Bangarh in West Dinajpur district." After Bhadravāhu his disciple, Godāsa established an order known as Godāsagana. He is said in the Kalpa-sūtra to have classified the Jajnas of eastern India into various branches, four of which were known as Koțivarsiya, Pundravardhaniya, Tāmraliptīya and Karvāļiya after different place-names of ancient Bengal." While Tämralipuika refers to the ancient city-port, Tamralipta, which comprised modern Tamluk on the Rūpnārāyana in the Midnapur district, the oiher two, viz., Kotivarsa and Pundravardhaniya, undoubtedly belonged to North Bengal covering the ancient Kotivarsa and Pundravardhana.
Though the identification of Karvatiya has not yet definitely been determired, it may doubtless be placed somewhere in Bengal.52 Scholars are not consensus with the exact location of this place, but it may be identified with the village Dasikharbota in the Midnapur district. It is stated in the Great Epic53 that Bhima while undertakes a hurricane campaign in this land, he reduced to subjection the lords of Tāmralipta or Tamluk and Karvața apparently a neighbouring place. It is thus probable that this Karvata or Dásikharbota in the Midnapur district, like Tāmralipta, Kotivarsa and Pundravardhana, was also a famous centre of Jainism where a new branch of this faith had cmerged.
It evidently shows that these places of ancient Bengal had already gained fame as noted centres of Jainism, so as to lend their names to important branches of the followers of this faith. Bhandarkar observes that “while Bihar and Kośala were taken by Buddha and his adherents, Bengal was selected by Mahāvīra and his followers for their proselytizing activities."54 Needless to point out that the geographical limitation of Bengal undoubtedly included portions of Bihar, Orissa and Assam. The activities of Mahāvīra as a wandering mendicant, Bhadravāhu and Godāsa's establishment of different sub-sects of this faith, distinctly demonstrate that Bengal had come to be influenced by Jainism since its inception. The imperial Maurya king Asoka was well aware of the popularity of the religion of the Nirgranthas. The Divyavadāna55