Book Title: 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 SŪTRA
[Ch. IV
The birth of a male child even in an ordinary family was celebrated by his parents according to the above mentioned prescribed social customs within the limit of their poor means, as it is evidenced by the fact that the poor parents of Gośāla Mankhaliputra, Mankhali and Bhadrā performed the birthceremony of their child in the cowshed of the Brāhmana, Gobahula by name, where he was born, according to their meagre economic resources.
The evidences of the celebration of birth ceremony of a child are fully corroborated by other Jaina texts'.
Thus it is stated in the Māyā lhammukuhal that the birth of the child, Meghakumāra born of queen Dhāriņi, was celebrated by king Śreņika according to the social customs as prescribed in the Bhs. Then this prince was handed over to the charge of the foreign nurses for his fostering under their care and attention
Marriage
Marriage was a sacrament in the society as depicted in the BLS. After the completion of education the second stage of life of an individual began with his marriage which was a spiritual union of two souls of man and woman.
The terms Pānin ginharimau used in the Bhs and other texts denote marriage which means the holding of the hand (of the girl), a symbol of Sva karana, i.e. formal transfer of the father's dominion over the girl to the husband.
1 BLS. 15, 1, 540. ? Cf Näyān hammakahão. 1, p. 21; Oviiyā Sutta 40, p. 185;
Ralpa Sutra 5, 102-108. 3 Nājādhammakahão 1. p. 20-21. 4 10. I, p. 21. (The Nisitha Carni, 13, p. 856 ff makes a
detailed discussion on various classes of nurses, especially the wet.nurse and the effect of her milk on the child. Refer also Panha Tika 418 ff; Cf. also Susruta Samhita Sarirasthāna, Ch. X, see 25, p. 284 : see Magap kha Jatalba (538), VI, p. 2f ; Lalitavistara, 100. Refer to Life in Ancient India as depicted in the Jaina canons by Dr. J. C. Jain, p. 151 f. note
no, 38. 6 BhS, 11, 11, 430,
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