Studies in the Bhagavati Sutra

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

Page 222

Sec. IV] STUDIES IN THE BHAGAWATI SUTRA
FOURTH SECTION
Dream, Pregnancy and Celebrations of Birth and Marriage.
Dream
197
It appears from Bhs that there was the popular belief in dreams current among the people of the society as depicted in this canonical work.
It was the general belief at that period that the mothers of Tirthankara or Cakravartin, Vasudeva, Baladeva and Mandalika woke up by dreaming fourteen, seven, four and one of the following great dreams just after the birth of embryo in the wombs of their respective mothers, viz. elephant, bull, lion, consecration of Lakṣmi, flower garland, the moon, the sun, flag, water-jar (kumbha), lotus-lake, sea, heavenly palace, heap of gems and burning fire1.
This account of the fourteen great dreams is also corroborated by the evidence of the Kalpa Sutra which also gives the same list of fourteen dreams.
So, according to the Svetambara tradition there are fourteen great dreams, but the Digambara one mentions sixteen great dreams by adding two more objects, viz. a royal seat marked with a lion's head (Simhasana) and a palace of snakes or of the king of snakes (Nagabhavana). The Digambaras designate the consecration of Laksmi under the word 'disagaya' i. e. Goddess Laksmi, being bathed in waters from the trunks of the elephants of the quarters.
There is another instance of the belief in dreams referred to in the BhS that Lord Mahavira once woke up from his sleep, having perceived the following ten objects in his dream during the period of the stage of his finite knowledge (chadmasthakāla), viz. (1) One big frightful and spirited Tala-Pisaca (devil)
1 Bhs, 16, 6, 579.
2 Kalpa Sutra 4.
3 See Mahapurana of Puspadanta Vol. 1, Notes III, 5. pp. 40-41; 600-601; See also Skt. Mahāpurana, First parttwelfth parva-LL. 148-152.
(Gajendramavadātānga......jvalanam prajvaladdyutim" (151). Dṛṣṭvaitan ṣoḍaśa-svapnan athādarśam mahipate......
(152).