Studies in the Bhagavati Sutra

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

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STUDIES IN THE BHAGAWATI SUTRA
[Ch. IV
multitudes of people, going there to attend their religious discourses, those Sramanopasakas of the city of Tungika went to them to listen to their holy teachings and entered into a religious discussion with them by putting some questions to them for true explanations, e.g. "what was the fruit of self-control (Samyama) and that of austerity (tava) ?"
To their great satisfaction, those Sthaviras (ascetics) explained that the fruit of self-control was the non-influx of karma-matter and that of austerity was the dissociation of Karma.1
Then those Sramanopasakas, being convinced and pleased with these explanations retired to their own city after paying due respect to those ascetics.
This account of the ways of living of the Sramanopāsakas of Tungika as given in the BhS truly represents the individual, social and religious aspects of household life.
There is a similar example of this second stage from which followed manifold activities of a householder.
Thus it is learnt that a very rich merchant named Kārttikadatta lived in the city of Hastinapura by exercising his authority over eight thousand other merchants as their guildpresident (negama-padhāna).
They were engaged in manifold activities and professions of secular life, but the religious duties were not ignored by them. They also attended the sermons of the houseless monk, Munisuvrata, delivered in the grove of thousand mango-trees.
They being satisfied with the holy teachings of that ascetic got initiated by him to Sramana Dharma and undertook the state of houselessness, after having placed their respective eldest sons in the household affairs and renounced the world."
The above evidences remind one of the household life of Ananda of Vanijyagrāma as mentioned in the Uvāsagadasão.1
1 Bhs, 2, 5, 110.
2.3 Ib, 18, 2, 616.
4 Uvasagadasão, Lec, 1,, Hoernle's Translation. See also Mahavira: His life and teachings by Dr. B. C. Law p. 38-39.