Studies in the Bhagavati Sutra

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

Page 229

204 STUDIES IN THE BHAGAWATŤ SÚTRA (Ch. IV mountain of Rajagrha in the monsoon, riding on an elephant, arose in her mind in the third month of her pregnancy. It caused her sickness, reduced her body and led to the loss of her happiness and beauty,
Having received this report of the physical and mental conditions of queen Dhāriņī, king Śreņika immediately approa. ched to her and inquired about the cause of her melancholy state. On being asked thus, the queen expressed her pregnancy longing to her husband that she would like to roam about, mounting an elephant in the outskirts of the Vebhila (Vaibhāra) hill.
This unfulfilled desire of queen Dhāriņi was satisfied by her step-son, prince Abhayakumāra through some divine means adopted by him on the receipt of the information of this state of affairs from his father, king Sreņika."
The Vyavahāra Bhäsya also refers to the pregnancy longing of queen Satyavati to play in an ivory palace, while a case of desire of drinking the moon (Candapiyana) by a pregnant lady is mentioned in the Uttarādhyayana Sutra.*
There are also some references to the desire of the pregnant ladies to take meat and wine during the period of their pregnancy.
Thus Vivāga Suya points out to the pregnancy desire of a woman to drink different kinds of wine and to take flesh of various cattle, while the Avaíyaka Cürnio furnishes the account of yearning of queen Cellanā for eating the flesh of the belly of her husband, king Śreņika mixed with wine.
On receipt of this report, prince Abhaya made some secret devices to save the situation and at the same time to satisfy the desire of the queen by placing flesh with blood and entrails,
1 Nāyādhammakakao 1, 14 p. 11-12.
Also refer to Uttaradhyayana Tikā, p. 132a. · 16, 1; 13, 14, 15, 16, 17.3 Vyavahāra Bhāsya 1. 335, p. 169. 4 Uttaradhyayana Sutra 3, p. 57. 5 Vivāga Suya 2, p. 14. 6 Āvaśyaka Turni II, P. 166. The other tradition tells that
the piece of flesh was that of hare.