A History of Indian Literature v2.c20.s2.186

v2.c20.s2.186

The third Mūla-Sūtra, Dasaveyāliya,⁵ is said to have been written by a certain Sejjaṃbhava. Legend tells that this man was enlightened by the apparition of a picture of the Jina, and left his house when his wife became pregnant. She bore a son, whom she named Mānaka. When the boy was eight years old, he asked after his father, and when he heard that the latter had become an ascetic, he went forth to seek him and become his pupil. As the father knew that his son had only six months more to live, he taught him the Dasaveyāliya within that period, whereupon he gave up the ghost by means of deep meditation.¹ The Sūtra consists of sayings pertaining to the monastic life, some of which remind us of the sayings in the Dhammapada, whilst others contain only rules for monastic discipline. Section II is connected with the ballad of Rājīmatī in the Uttarajjhayaṇa; they are verses in which she admonishes Rathanemi who wishes to seduce her. This Sūtra, too, is connected with an abundant narrative literature which is contained in the commentaries.