Studies in Buddhist and Jaina Monachism

Author(s): Nand Kishor Prasad
Publisher: Research Institute of Prakrit Jainology & Ahimsa Mujjaffarpur

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STUDIES IN BUDDHIST AND JAINA MONACHISM
the Order in due course were Meghal, Sthapatyaputra, Jamali and several others. The ceremony of their conversion is always described elaborately and are almost similar in all cases. It may, however, be noted that the luxury and pomp of the ceremony varied according to the status of the person wishing to join the order. 4 Our statement will be evidenced by the description of the renunciation of Megha, the prince of Rājagsha.
Just after his coronation, Megha disgusted with worldly life made up his inind to forsake the world and to betake himself to houseless life. His parents, having come to know his determination summoned a barber and ordered him to cut his hair off leaving a small tuft of hair so as to suit the standing custom of renunciation. His mother took the hair in a cloth decked with the figure of swan and preserved them in a jewelled box. Then he was bathed with white and yellow pitchers and was dressed in costly and gorgeous costumes and ornaments.
Then Megha ascended a palanquin adorned luxuriously. His mother too having performed the oblation, sat on his right side and his chief nurse (ambadhai) on the left with broom (rayaharana) and almsbowl (padiggaka) in their hands. All of them were facing the east. Then friends and relatives of Megha took them to the place called Gupasilakacaitya outside the city of Rajagsha. There, they descended from the palanquin and went to Lord Mahāvīra. The parents of Megha, after perambulating round the Lord thrice, requested him to accept their son as his own disciple as he was fed up with worldly life. The Lord consented to it. Then Megha, going ahead of the Lord in the north-eastern direction stripped himself of all his ornaments and fineries. His mother caught up them in a swan-marked garment. Though overwhelmed with grief, yet she advised him always to be heedful and to strive earnestly in monk life. Then the parents of Megha returned home.
After his parents' departure, Megha himself plucked out his hair in five handfuls and perambulating round the Lord thrice, bowed down to him. Then he, showing disgust with the household life,
1. Nayā, pp. 29 34. 2. Ibid, pp 70-72. 3. Bhag. 9. 33, pp. 461 ff.
Sometimes, not only the expenditure to be incurred on the conversion ceremony was met by the king, but even the entire family of the perso - renouncing household life was supported by him.-- Nāyā, pp. 70-72.