Studies in the Bhagavati Sutra

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

Page 267

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STUDIES IN THE BHAGAWATI SUTRA
[Ch. IV
But the wild beauty of Nature is still embroidered on the cloths and dresses and engraved on the plates of ornaments.
It is an artistic attempt inspired with the aesthetic sense to make a communion with the sublime beauty of Nature,
Similarly the sense of cleanliness and beauty caused man to wash himself and take bath and to toilet his body with various scented products and roots, such as, sandal wood, aloe, etc.
The Bhs presents a graphic picture of dresses and ornaments, decorations and toilets used by the people of that period.
The mention of different kinds of dresses and ornaments, decorations and toilets reminds one of their origin in the hoary past and their evolution upto its period, as it is known from the traces of the blending of distinct modes of living of the people in the society as depicted here.
Thus the text refers to four kinds of decorations made by the men and women of its society with four varieties of adorning articles, viz. crown (mauda, the ornament of hair), cloth (vatcha), garland (malla), and ornament (abharaṇa).?
It provides a long list of colourful dresses and costly ornaments worn by the members of the rich aristocratic and royal families, particularly the ladies of the high society who adorned themselves with various kinds of gorgeous cloths, garments, ornaments of low and high prices (appamahaggha), garlands and flowers, etc.
Side by side with these fine dresses and ornaments, there are also in this text references to the bark-cloth (vājalavattha)", flowers, perfumes and garlands. Words for clothing and decorating
Various terms, such as, Vattha", 'dise', 'sādiya'e, bhūsana”, *alamkāra's, etc. are used to denote clothing and decorating of the
1 Bhs, 9, 33, 385. : 10, 11, 9, 417.
3 Ib, 11, 11, 428. 4 16, 2, 1, 90; 9, 33, 380; 9, 33, 385;11, 9, 417, 418; 11 , 11, 429. 6 16, 9, 33, 384 ; 15, 1, 541. 6 16, 9, 33, 383. ? 16, 9, 33, 380; 9, 33, 384. 8 16, 9, 33, 385,