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13. JAINISM AND OTHER FAITES
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while Varāhamihira, from whom Somadeva quotes a verse containing a reference to the cult of the Jinas practised by the naked ascetics, fourished only about four centuries earlier than the composition of Yasastilaka.' Somadeva then quotes a verse from a work called Nimittādhyāya, which describes the visit of 'ascetics free from worldly ties' as auguring prosperity to a place, and he obviously takes the expression nirgranthāśca tapodhanāḥ to mean Jaina monks. The date of this work is unknown, but it seems to be referred to by śāntarakṣita in Tattvasaṁgraha (vv. 3511 f.). He says that if Vedic authority is required as proof of the omniscience of the Buddha, reference should be made to the Nimitta Sakhā of the Veda wherein the Exalted Buddha, the Omniscient sage, is clearly mentioned by the learned Brāhmaṇas. The Nimitta Sakhā of the Veda seems to be a fiction and is probably the same as the Nimittādhyāya cited by Somadeva, which might be supposed to contain a reference to the Buddha. That the Nimitta Sākhā was not a Vedic school is shown by the statement of Santarakṣita that the hostility of the Brāhmaṇas to the Buddha was responsible for the fact that this particular Säkhā was not included among the Vedic schools, although the text concerned, obviously the same as the Nimittadhyāya, could be converted into a Vedic text at will by adding the necessary accents. However that might be, the citation from the Nimittadhyāya does not further to any great extent Somadeva's argument in support of the antiquity of the Jaina religion. Similarly, after citing the texts mentioned above, he goes on to enumerate a large number of poets including Bhāravi, Bhavabhūti, Kālidāsa and Māgha, and claims that the Jaina faith enjoys a great reputation in their works.
The anxiety of Somadeva to establish the antiquity of Jainism illustrates the desire of a member of a minority community to enhance the prestige of his faith, so essential for its propagation. The duty of a pious Jaina to his religion is clearly formulated in connection with the angas or components of Samyaktva ;8 and one of his sacred obligations seems to be ganavardhana, expansion of the community, to be carried out by appropriate methods explained by Somadeva in detail. The evidence of Somadeva
1 See Chap. XVIII. 3 निमित्ताध्याये च-पभिनी राजहंसाश्च निन्थाश्च तपोधनाः। यं देशमुपसर्पन्ति सुभिक्षं तत्र निर्दिशेत् ।। 3 किंतु वेदप्रमाणत्वं यदि युष्माभिरिष्यते । तत् किं भगवतो मूढैः सर्वशत्वं न गम्यते । निमित्तनानि सर्वशो भगवान्
मुनिसत्तमः । शाखान्तरे हि विस्पष्टं पठ्यते ब्राह्मणैर्बुधैः॥ अथ शाखान्तरं नेदं वेदान्तर्गतमिष्यते। तदत्र न निमित्तं वो द्वेषं मुक्त्वाऽवधार्यते ॥ स्वरादयश्च ते धर्माः प्रसिद्धाः
श्रुतिभाविनः । कर्तुमत्रापि शक्यास्ते नरेच्छामात्रसंभवात् ॥ 5 ...... 757 tertaherifloroetag *****ei afaqat Hell self' Book IV. For poets in question
see Chap. XVIII 6 Book VI. 7 See Chap. X.
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