Book Title: Treasury of Jain Tales
Author(s): V M Kulkarni
Publisher: Shardaben Chimanbhai Educational Research Centre

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Page 429
________________ N-4 occasion to tell the well-known story in all the details." S. No.4: Udayana ('or perhaps Uddāyana' Jacobi), the best among the kings of Sauvira renounced (his kingdom or) the world, turned monk and finally attained salvation. He was contemporary with Mahavira. 'Sinavalli, this name of a deity, is rather unusual, so too the name of the town 'Kumbhakāravekkha'. S. No. 5: Sanatkumāra ranks fourth among the twelve Cakra vartins of the Janin mythology. The word Cakravartin (or cakrin) means one who rules over the six khandas of Bhārata-varsa. He possesses a wondrous cakra (disc) whereby he is called a 'cakrin', Dr. Ghatage thinks that “The original meaning appears to be a king whose chariot-wheel meets no obstacle in his conquests."... scholars have explained the word 'cakravartin" in different ways. Wilson considered it to mean ‘one who abides in (vartate) a large territory called a cakra. Kern takes 'vartin' to mean 'vartayati' 'who rules'. Senart regards him to be one who owns a cakraväla while Jacobi thinks that cakra' here stands for the political term mandala." S. No. 6. : Brahmadatta is the last of the twelve cakravartins. This legend, with some variations, is common to Brahmanic, Buddhist and Jain traditions. It represents a beautiful specimen of the old ascetic poetry. The dominant idea or motif underlying this legend is nidäna. It is originally, a medical term. Haribhadrasuri explains it as the disorder of the humours of the body (dhatus). Metaphorically it means 'bad karman' which upsets the moral constitution of the soul (Jiva). The Tattvärthadhigama-sūtra describes it as the fourth kind of artadhyāna; the bhāsya explains it thus : For Private & Personal Use Only www.jainelibrary.org Jain Education International

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