Studies in the Bhagavati Sutra

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

Page 92

Sec. 11]
STUDIES IN THE BHAGAWATI SUTRA
Having known the approaching Rathamusala Sangrāma', king Kunika went to give battle to the combined forces of the nine Mallakis and nine Licchavis with his well equipped army as described before. He fought this war also with another new destructive weapon called 'Rathamusala" and drove away the nine Mallakis and nine Licchavis together with their confederate army from one direction to another as he did in the 'Mahasilakantaka Sangrāma'.
In the Rathamusala Sangrama "one chariot having no horse, no charioteer, no soldier, but having one Musala (club or mace) attached to it, ran to all directions, causing a great destruction of a large number of peoples, and a Kalpa (a fabulous period of time) of total annihilation of peoples and made the mud of blood in the battlefield."
So for that reason this war was called Rathamusala Sangrama'. A large number of casualties of death amounting to ninety-six lakhs peoples took place in this devastating war. Thus king Kūņika finally inflicted a crushing defeat on the combined forces of nine Mallakis, nine Licchavis, Kāśī, Kośala and their eighteen republican chiefs led by king Cetaka of Vaiśāli with the use of these two new war engines called 'Mahasśilākantaka' and 'Kathamusala' respectively.
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While imparting the holy teachings of explanation on the rebirth of those who were killed in these two wars, Lord Mahāvīra made an indirect reference to the system of conscription of soldiers, introduced and enforced by the ancient republic of Vaisala in times of war. Here is given an instance of the state law in connection with the Rathamusala Sangrama.
The Sramano pasaka, Nagaputra Varuna, a prominent citizen of Vaisali was perforce ordered by the king, the assembly (or republic) and the army of this state respectively to join the Rathamusala Sangrama in order to fight against the forces of
1 BhS, 7, 9, 301.
Ib, do. (At the end of a Kalpa it is stated that the world is
annihilated).
3 Ib, 7, 9, 303.