Studies in the Bhagavati Sutra

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

Page 330

Sec. 111] STUDIES IN THE BHAGAWATI SUTRA 305
The people gradually took to the occupations of agriculture, arts and crafts, trade and commerce to produce more necessaries of life by hard labour under the clemency of natural forces.
The instinct of possession combined with the necessity of sustaining and continuing their life guided them to accumulate and save their resources and products of labour for the future use in times of economic crisis.
Thus the conception of wealth and capital emerged in the age of the barter system of economics.
The invention of metal and coinage further facilitated the operation of the economic laws with the development of which there arose the problem of possession and inheritance of the earned and unearned wealth and capital in the shapes of land, corn, cattle, house, metal and coins inherited from generation to generation.
The Bhs presents such a picture of a fully developed economy in which the capital played an important part in the individual and social relations with regard to the material prosperity, power and enjoyments.
Thus it is learnt that the rich householder like Tāmals of Tāmralipti prospered by gold, money, corn, sons, cattle and other abundant wealths, such as, jewel, gem, pearl, conch, precious stones, coral, red jewel, etc.
While a class of merchants carried on trade in gold, bell-metal, cloth, jewel, pearl, conch, etc., the other group doubled its money by a flourishing banking business.
Like Tāmalī, king Siva' of Hastinārura also prospered by the same kinds of wealth as possessed by the former, in addition to his kingilom, army, treasury and city.
The opulence of the family wealth of the prince, Jamālīó inherited from his father, grandfather, great-grandfather, is
8 16, 2, 5, 107,
1 BhS, 3, 1, 134.
Ib, 11, 9.417.
2 I6, 8, 5, 328. 5 Ib, 9, 33, 384.
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