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KALIA SOTRA
97
The Sāmācārī is a code of rules for asceticism. In it we have in prose rules and regulations pertaining to Pujjūşan or the Lent. The Pajjūşun corresponds to the Buddhist Vassa and is divided into two parts, the 50 days that precede and the 70 that succeed the 5th of Bhādra śuklapakşa. The Svetāmbaras observe the fast during the former period and the Digambaras during the latter.
The Kalpasūtra ascribed to Bhadrabāhu shows the early stage of the development of Jinalogy when the tradition of four Jinas was cherished by the Jaina (ommunity. The Buddhalogy, too, had presumably sich an early stage with the tradition of four Buddhas. The number grarlually increased from four to seven, from seven to twenty-four, from that to twenty-nine including the future Buddha, and from that to innumerable Buddhas. Going by this analogy, one can say that the tradition of twenty-four Tirthaikaras was of later growth. The four Jinas whose life-history is presented in ibe Kalpasūtru are Rşabhadatti, Ariştaniemi, Pārsva and Mahāvira.
The Jain canonical sūtras furnishi us with some interesting details about the life and activity of some kings and queens, princes and princesses, sages and other persons, some of whom played an important part in the history of Jainism. B-sides the contain some useful historical and geographical data as well as some miscellaneous matters which need careful consideration.
We read about Rşabha that he was a Kosalan Ksatriya of the Kāśyapa gotru. He bore the five epithets representing him as Rşabha, the first king, the first mendicalit, the first Jina, and the first Tirthankara, in short, as the great pioneer in the history of human greatness.
Rşabha was born of Marudevi, wife of the patriarch? Nābhi. When Marudevi conceived, she dreamt 14 dreams, 2 the first of which was a bull coming forward with his face, unlike mothers of Tirthankaras who see elephant in their first dream. The dreams were interpreted by the patriarch Nābhi in the absence of professional interpreters.
Riding in his palanquin and followed on his way by a train of gods, men and asuras, Rşabha came right through the town of Vinītā to the park called Siddhärthavana and stopped under the excellent Asoka tree and with his own
1 Kulakara: these Kulakarus wore the first kings and founders of families at the time when the rest of mankind were Yugalins. The first Kulakara was Vimalavāhana, the seventh and last of the line Nābhi (S.B.E., Jaina Sutras, Pt. I, 281 fn.). According to the Digambara bolief there were fourteen Kulukaras, beginning with Pratiśruti Nābhi.
2 The Digambaran uane 16 dreams.
