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44
SOME JAINA CANONICAL SUTRAS
The town of Vaniyagama mentioned in secs. 77-78 of the Urasagadasão curiously agrees with the description of Vesāli given in the Tibetan Dulva. Gautama, a senior disciple of Mahavira, addressed him thus 'I desire, Revered Sir, with your permission, as the turn for the indulgence for my sixth meal has arrived, to go round the city of Vaniyagama, to the upper, lower and middle classes, on a begging tour of houseto-house collection.' 2
Bārāṇasī, Kampillapura, Palāśapura and Alabhi were the important towns within the kingdom of Jiyasattu (Uvāsagadasão, pp. 84, 85, 90, 95, 105, 160 and 163). All these places could be reached from Śravasti by convenient roads. In the neighbourhood of Sravasti there was a settlement (sannivesa) called Saravana which was the birthplace of Gosala Mankhaliputta, the great master of the Ajivikas (Ibid., App. I). Palāśapura was another important centre of the Ajivikas (Ibid., p. 105).
There lived at Benares a prosperous householder named Sūrādeva. He possessed a very rich treasure of gold and herds. He took upon himself the law of the householder and lived in conformity with the teachings of the law which he had received from Mahavira. Another prosperous householder named Culanipiya lived at Benares. His wife was named Samā. He possessed a treasure of gold and herds. He was the cause of prosperity to whatever business he was concerned with. At a certain time Mahāvīra came and a congregation went out from Benares to hear him. He lived in conformity with the teachings of the law which he received from Mahāvīra. Afterwards through lofty ascetic practices he was reborn as a deva (Uvāsagadasão, II, pp. 90-98). The Uvāsagadasão refers to the early career of Mahavira as a teacher when there seems to have been an alliance of KāśīKośala, Anga, Alavi, Videha, Vaiśālī, Pāvā and Kuśinārā against the growing power of Magadha. But in spite of such an alliance, Anga was conquered by Bimbisara and permanently annexed to Magadha. Kunika-Ajātaśatru, son of Bimbisara, is represented throughout the Jaina literature as the king of Anga (Campā).
1 Hoernle, Ibid., II, p. 6.
2 Ibid., I, p. 36. Icchami nam, bhunte, tubbhchim abbhaṇunae chaṭṭhakkha. maṇassa pāraṇagamsi vāniyagāme nayare uccaniyamajjhimāim kuldim gharasa. muddānassa bhikkhayariyae aḍittae.
3 Ibid., p. 84: Bāṇārasim nama nayari. Kotthae ceie. Sūrādeve gāhāvai addhe. Cha hiranakodio java.... Cha vaya dasagosähassienam vaenam..... paḍivajjai gihidhammam... samanassa Bhagavao Mahavirassa dhamma. panattim uvasampajjittānam viharai.
