Studies in the Bhagavati Sutra

Author(s): J C Sikdar
Publisher: Research Institute of Prakrit Jainology & Ahimsa Mujjaffarpur

Page 196

Sec. II] STUDIES IN THE BHAGAWATİ SUTRA 171 hold life and the highly glorified second stage (gār hasthya) which was able to do service in the benefit of all the Aśramas' (i. e. Brahmacarya, Vānaprastha & Yati stages of an individual man). “Kālo hyayam samkramituṁ dvitryam
sarvopakārakşamāśramam (V-10). The following examples of the BhS regarding the life of householders present a vivid picture of the second stage which regulated their both individual and social relations in regard to secular and religious aspects of their duties.
After the completion of study, when prince Mahābala of Hastināpura' attained his full youth, and became grown up and capable of enjoying the worldly life, his parents, king Bala and queen Prabhāvati Devi caused him to accept the hands of eight princesses at the auspicious moment of constellation of the part of the lunar day and provided them with all necessaries of the second stage of life, such as, palaces, palace-staff, wealth, etc.
Like prince Jamāli' of Ksatriya-Kundagrāma, prince Mahā. bala also passed his time in the upper palace by enjoying singly desired sound, touch, taste, object of beauty and smell-the five kinds of human gratification of desires in the company of best young beautiful ladies, dancing and singing throughout the nights of six seasons.
Here it seems that 'Desire was the determining principle of this second stage of life, as it is reflected in the arguments advanced by the respective mothers of prince Jamālī" and prince Mahābala" in order to dissuade them from undertaking the state of houselessness.
They told their respective sons to enjoy abundant sensual gratifications of human desires with their wives and vast wealth and prosperity inherited by them from their respective grandfather and great-grand-father according to their desires.
The mother of prince Jamālī said to him "so long, son, we live, then later on with our death, being old (i.e. experienced)
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