Studies in the Bhagavati Sutra

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

Page 332

Sec. III] STUDIES IN THE BHAGAWATI SŪTRA 307 Srāvasti and played a prominent part in the material prosperity of its citizens.
There is also a mention of a large economic corporation of eight thousand merchants of Hastināpura under the presidentship of Kārttikadattal who exercised his authority over them in matters concerned with this great establishment.
Besides these two instances, an incidental reference occurs in the BhS to a private limited banking organization, as already pointed out, formed and run by the merchants of the city of Tungikā? who increased their wealth by money-lending business.
The story of the four merchants of Srāvastī as related by Gośāla Mańkhaliputra to Ananda, a disciple of Lord Mahāvīra, gives some idea of the co-operative mercantile organization of the high and low class merchants to carry on their inland trade.
Thus it is stated that four merchants of that city, being desirous of gaining wealth took many kinds of abundant saleable articles, sufficient food and drink and other provisions for the journey in bullock carts and went to the distant land and entered into a large forest having no village, no water pond but unfrequented path and struggled with their caravans of bullock carts through it to reach their destination.
The existence of such economic groups was represented by the first (chief) merchant (padhama satthavāha) who was always associated with the administration of the state, probably as financial adviser to the government, for his knowledge and experience in the economic affairs were considered most essential for the material prosperity of the state and the people at large.
Thus it appears that the important branches of the arts, crafts, industry, trade and commerce demanded some sorts of guilds for their successful running and development.
The reference to the existence of Negama' (trade-guild) in the BhS reminds one of the Negama coins of Taxila, or Pafica Nikama coins issued by the independent economic guilds of
Bhs, 18, 2, 437,
16, 2, 5, 107.
$ 16, 15, 1, 543.