Studies in the Bhagavati Sutra

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

Page 244

Sec. V] STUDIESN THEBHI AGAWATIS SŪTRA
219 of their respective husbands, as it is evidenced in the cases of queen Cellanā,' queen Prabhāvati Devi,' Devānandā' and others as mother,
In this connection it should be observed that the women belonging to the common family enjoyed the freedom of coming out to receive guests and even to move in public as their husbands' companions in the journeys of life, as it is found in the cases of Utpalā", Revatio and Bhadrā' respectively.
These facts make it clear that there was a certain amount of restriction on the free movement of the newly married young ladies as evidenced in the conditions of the eight wives of the prince, Mahabala who were provided with all necessaries of life and separate establishments.
Mother
As mother the woman was the virtual mistress of the family, enjoying a unique position in all the internal household affairs assigned to her care and attention."
It has already been pointed out that the mother is mentioned before the father (ammāpiyaro,' in the list of the family relations as given by the Bhs. This grouping of words clearly suggests that more reverence was paid to the mother than that to the father in the family.
But this picture does not show a relatively lower position of the latter than that of the former, because it was a patriarchal family10 under the headship of the father.
Moreover, there was the prevailing custom of attributing a name of a new born male child after that of his father, as it is found in the cases of Mahābala, the son of king Bala', Gosala Mankhaliputra, the son of Mankha Mankhalid and also the prince Śivabhadra, the son of king Siva.18
1 Bhs 1, 1, 4.
? 10, 11, 11, 431. 316, 9, 33, 382. 4 16. 12. 1, 441-42. 6 11, 12, 1, 437. & Ib, 15, 1, 557. 7 16, 15, 1, 540. 8 10, 11, 11, 430. 9 16, 9, 33, 384. 10 11, 3, 1, 134 ; 11,9, 417 ; 11, 11, 428 ; 13, 6, 491. 11 Ib, 11, 11, 429. 12 16, 15, 1, 540, 19 I, 11, 9, 417.