Book Title: Some Jaina Canonical Sutras
Author(s): Bimla Charn Law
Publisher: Royal Asiatic Society

Previous | Next

Page 186
________________ 172 SOME JAINA CANONICAL SUTRAS In 826 Vikrama era, Śrīvappahaṭṭa Suri installed the image of Śrīvira at Mathurā. Saint Kalavesika, son of king Jitaśatru, being attacked with piles, stayed in the mountain of Muggila. Somadeva, with a view to seeing the influence of saint Sankharaja, took his initiation at Gayapura, went to heaven and was born at Kāśī as sage Harikeśabala. Kambala and Sambala, having attained knowledge by the grace of Jinadasa, were reborn as Nagakumāras. When a terrible famine broke out, lasting for about twelve years, Khandi, a citizen, introduced the practice of compulsory reading of the sacred scriptures (āgamas). Hastinapura1: Rṣabha, the first Tirthankara, had two sons, Bharatesvara and Bahubali. He installed Bharata on the throne and offered Takṣaśilā to Bahubali. He divided his kingdom also among his other relations. Anga was named after Angakumāra, Kuruksetra after Kuru, and the same as to Vanga, Kalinga, Surasena and Avanti. King Hasti, the son of King Kuru, founded Hastinapura on the bank of the Bhagirathi (it should be Yamunā). Santi, Kunthu and Aranatha, the sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth Tirthankaras, who were blessed with miraculous power, were born here. The fifth, sixth and seventh Tirthankaras were not only initiated here but they attained supreme knowledge (kevalajñāna). Lord Ṛsabha broke his first religious fast at the house of prince Sreyamsa, the grandson of Bahubali. The great sage, Visņukumāra by virtue of severe penances, controlled Namuci. Here were born many great personages, such as Sanatkumāra, Mahāpadma, Subhuma, and Parasurama. This is the place which was hallowed by the birth of the Pandavas and the Kauravas. Here are the magnificent temples of Santinatha, Kunthunatha, Aranatha and AmbikaHere were built four caityas watered by the Yamuna. Kausambi: Kausambi is the principal city in the kingdom of Vatsa. The brick-built fort of king Pradyota still exists. devi. 1 It was a capital of the Kuru kingdom traditionally identified with an old town in Mawana tahsil, Meerut (Cunningham, A.G.I., p. 702.) 2 It was the capital of the Vatsa kingdom. This city was built where existed the hermitage of king Kusamba (See Asvaghosa's Saundarananda Kāvya; Cf. Papañcasudani, II, 389-90). It was a well-known city in northern India. According to the Buddhist scholiast Buddhaghosa the city came to be called Kosambi or Kausumbi because in founding it the Kosamba trees were uprooted here and there. (For details see B. C. Law, Kausambi in Ancient Literature, M.A.S.I., no. 60).

Loading...

Page Navigation
1 ... 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229