Studies in the Bhagavati Sutra

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

Page 334

Sec. Iv]
STUDIES IN THE BHAGAWATI SUTRA
309
In this respect some business terms associated with trade, reveal the different aspects of the general trade and commerce as existing at that period.
The term “Vāņijja'used in the Bhs and other texts denotes the general trade, while the following ones, Vaniya' or Setthia, paņiya', appamahaggha", uvanīya and aņuvaṇīyao, sukka," paniyabhūmis, kuttiyāvana', apaņalo, katiyatl, vikkiņa", sātiejjāl}, (satyankara), dhana?“, āyogapayogals and lābha's, stand for merchant, saleable commodity, price, purchased article, taken and not taken, customs, market place, emporium, shop, purchase, sale, earnest money, currency or wealth, money-lending and profit respectively.
It is clear from the denotations of these terms that there was a regular system of trade based on some commercial laws and customs sanctioned by the state and observed by the society as depicted in this canonical work.
The main features of trade and commerce were the purchase and sale of goods of all kinds as demanded by social needs
In the matter of sale or purchase there appears to be a custom of paying the earnest money (8ātiejja)lt by the purchaser (kaiyassa) to the seller as a security of good faith or business agreement.
The Bhs clearly shows that the desire for gaining18 and increasing19 wealth was the dominating motive of the merchantile class, as it is evidenced by the fact that some high and low merchants of Srāvastā,40 "desirous of gaining wealth, greedy of wealth and thirsty for wealth" went abroad, having taken many
1 Bh8, 8, 5, 330. 8 1), 11, 11, 424; 18, 2, 608. 5 11, 9, 33, 380.
7 10, 11, 11, 429. 9.10 16, 9, 33, 385. 14 10, 3, 1, 134 ; 11, 9, 417. 16 Ib, 15, 1, 541. 18 I0, 15, 1, 547. 30 16, 15, 1, 547.
2 1b, 11, 11, 424; 15, 1, 547. 4 I), 15, 1, 547. 6 16, 5, 6, 206.
8 Ib, 15, 1, 541. 11.3 16, 5, 6, 205.
15 16, 2, 5, 107; 5, 6, 205. 17 16, 5, 6, 205. 19 16, 2, 5, 107.