Studies in the Bhagavati Sutra

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

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STUDIES IN THE BHAGAWATI SUTRA
[Ch. It
The Samavayanga Sutra records the contents of the BhS. in brief as given below:
"Viyaheņam sasamayā Viāhijjamti parasamayasasamaya parasamayā-Jīvā viā 3 loge viahijjaivivaheṇam, nänā-vihasuranarimda-raya-risi-vivihasamsaiapucchiyanam, jinenamvitthareņam, bhasiyāṇamdavva-guna-khetta-kāla pajjava-padesa-pariņāmajahacchiṭṭhiyabhāva-anuga mamkkhevaṇaya-ppamāņasuniuno
vakkama-vivihappagārapagaḍa-payasiyāņam; logālogapayāsiyāņaṁ samsārasa mudda-rumda-uttarana-samatthāṇam"Suravaisaṁpūjiyāņaṁ, bhaviyajaṇa-payahiyayābhinaṁdiyāņaṁ tamaraya-vidhamsaṇāņam, sudiṭṭha
divabhūya-ihāmati-buddhi-vaddhaṇāṇam,
Chattisasa hassa maṇūņayāņam vāgaraṇāņaṁ damsanão suyattha-bahu-viha-ppagārā”1
The study of the contents of the BS shows that the scenes of the religious discourses of Lord Mahavira and other leaders of thought are laid out in Rajagṛha (Gunaśilakacaitya), Srāvasti (Koṣṭhaka caitya), Kayangalā (Chatrapalāśaku caitya), Tungikā (Puspavati caitya), Moya (Nandana Caitya), Campā (Pūrṇabhadra Caitya), Mithila (Manabhadra Caitya), Vāṇijyagrāma (Ditipalasaka Caitya), Brahmaṇakunḍagrāma (Bahuśālaka Caitya), Hastinapura (Sahasrāmravana grove), Alabhikā (Sankhavana caitya), Kausāmbi (Chandravatarana caitya), Vitibhaya (Mrgavana), Kāmpilyapura, Mendikagrāma Sālakoṣṭha ka-caitya), Ullukatīra (Ekajambuka-caitya), and Visakha (Bahu putrikacaitya). Of these places Rajagṛha was the most important centre of the religious activities of the Master where he appeared more than sixty times and expounded the Law in the assembly of his followers on different religious and philosophical problems raised by Gautama Indrabhuti and others.
It is revealed that out of 868 Sutras, one sutra deals with the questions of Roha to Lord Mahavira, one with those of Kalasavesiyaputta to the disciples of Lord Mahāvīra, one with
1 Samavayanga Sutra--140,