Studies in Jainism

Author(s): Ramkrishna Mission Institute of Culture Culcutta
Publisher: Ramkrishna Mission Institute of Culture Culcutta

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STUDIES IN JAINISM (3) Vasumitra, the merchant, paid reverence to the Jaina gurus; but his wife Dhanasri was a non-Jaina.15
(4) Nili was the daughter of the Jaina Seth Jinadatta of Bhrgukacha. Sāgardatta of the same place was a non-Jaina.. He found that the Jaina Seth was not willing to marry his daughter to a non Jaina. Consequently, he adopted the Jaina. faith, When the Jaina Seth found nothing wanting in him, the marriage was celebrated. But soon after, Sāgaradatta got back to his former religion. This was a calamity for the Jainas as well as for Nīlī, who was tortured to give up her faith.16
Such instances, I think, obliged the later Jainas to limit the field of marriage to their own caste and religion. But in the early periods, when there was not much hostility between the followers of various sects in India, the marriages were freely contracted between them. Even historical persons
aina Kavi Dhanañiava, and the famous Buddhist Lexicographer Amara Simha, had their wives from amongst the Buddhists and Jainas respectively.
Marriages with Foreigners and Mlecchas At that time marriages were also contracted with people, who were either not of the Aryan stock and were called Mlecchas or who resided in foreign countries. Below are given a few instances :
(1) King Bharat, the first monarch of India, had a good number of Mleccha girls as his consorts. 17
(2) Vāsudeva married a Mleccha-kanyā Jarā and he had by her a son Jaratkumāra. 18
(3) Bhavisyadatta married a lady of Tilakadvipa, by name Tilakasundarī, who was not of his own caste and country. 19
15. Ibid., III, 113. 16. Ibid., II, 28, 17. Mahāpurāna, 37 18. Harivamsapurāna. 19. Bhavisayattakahā, Sandhi 5, pp. 29-38.