Studies in the Bhagavati Sutra

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

Page 318

Sec. 11]
TU BUAGAWATT SÜTRA STUDIES IN THE BHAGAWATI SÚTRA
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The text further reveals that the people had to live on by the occupation of fishery in the hard times of an economic crisis, as it is apparently clear from the statement that during the Dusama-Dusamākāla' in Bhāratavarsa the people, having come out of their dwellings at the time of sunrise and sunset would cause the fish and tortoise to reach the land from the axile-deep water of the river and bury them into the earth. Thus they would pass time upto twenty-one thousand years by carrying on livelihood with those lifeless fish and tortoises seasoned by cold and heat.
Besides tliese low professions, the BKS presents an account of a large number of artisans and tradesmen and various arts and crafts which formed an important part of the economic life of the people. Meaning of Sippa
The term 'Sippa' (Silpa)s used here and also in the Buddhist and Brāhmaṇical texts generally denotes a manual art or craft, or any handicraft or mechanical or fine art including proficiency in military art (Cheyāyariya).* Such arts or crafts sometimes called bāhyakalā "external' or practical arts are stated to be sixty-four in number, e.g. carpentering, architecture, jewellery, farriery, acting, dancing, music, medicine, poetry, etc., and sixty.four ābhyantarakalā secret arts' are also enumerated, e.g. kissing, embracing and various other arts of coquetry. The term Kala' bears the wider denotation, having included Silpa in it in wider sense, but it signifies any mechanical or fine art in particular and sixty-four kinds of kalā are also enumerated in the Saivatantra and other Brāhmaṇical works”, e.g. gîtam (vocal music), vādyar (instrumental music), nrtyar (dance) and the like.
The term 'Kārī' occurring in the text denotes a worker in handicraft, e.g. kumbhakārž (potteress).
1 Bhs, 7, 6, 288. 9 1b, 14, 7, 425. 6 Vâtsyāyana's Kama Sutra 1, 3, 17.
i 16, 7, 6, 288. 4 16, 7, 9, 300. 6 Bhs, 15, 1, 539.