Study of Jainism

Author(s): T G Kalghatgi
Publisher: Prakrit Bharti Academy

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Having spent his Varşavasa in Rajagṛha, Mahavira went to Campa. The king Ajatasatru (Kuņika) had made this city his capital. He was received by the king with great reverence. There is a detailed description of the reception of Mahavira by Kunika in the Aupapatika-sutra. 37 There is a contraversy regarding the faith that King Kunika of Campa was following. It has been suggested that he was a Buddhist. It has also been suggested that he was following the Jaina faith and the follower of Mahavira's teachings. The Buddhists and the Jainas both claimed him as one of themselves. "The Jaina claim appears to be well founded."38 Radhakumud Mukarjee also thinks that the Jaina claim that king Kuņika was a Jaina, appears to be more cogent.39 For us the problem is not very much relevant for ascertaining this historical incident. One thing is certain that at the time of Kuņika, both Buddha and Mahavira being contemporaries moved about preaching their own teachings from place to place. Both visited different places like Rajagṛha, Srāvasti, Campa and other places in Magadha and Vaisāli. Both were received with respect by the kings and peoples of these places. There did not seem to be confrontation or rivalry between the two faiths. But strange to say, Buddha and Mahavira never met. There is an incident mentioned how Buddha and Mahavira showed great respect to each other. Buddha expressed his regard to Mahavira whenever he talked about him to his disciples. Once Buddha went to Vaisali and there he said to Simha, his disciple, "Simha, your family has been serving Nigganthas for a long period. When they arrive you should not refrain from giving them alms". 40 Buddha said to Upali, when the great Niggantha Nataputta (Mahavira) was moving along with a large number of disciples, "Your family has been serving the Nigganthas for a long time when they arrive, you should not refrain from serving them with alms."41 During the stay of Mahavira at Campa many princes and common men took the vows of renunciation. The sons of King Srenika, like Padma, Mahapadma, Bhadra, subhadra and others took the vow. Then Mahavira went to the Videha country. After his Varṣāvāsa at Mithila he went towards Vaisali and he was camping at Sravasti. Mankhaliputta Gośalaka was also camping there. He had seperated himself from the Sangha of Mahavira and declared that he was also a jina. Gautama went to Mahavira and asked whether the claim of Mankhaliputta Gosala to be the Jina
Study of Jainism