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Life in Ancient India as Depicted in the Jain Canons, with Commentaries: An Administrative, Economic, Social and Geographical Survey c14.s3.t8: (6) Vesamaṇamaha

Life in Ancient India as Depicted in the Jain Canons, with Commentaries: An Administrative, Economic, Social and Geographical Survey c14.s3.t8

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(6) Vesamaṇamaha

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Vaiśravaṇa or Kubera is the guardian of the north and the lord of all treasure in Indian mythology His floating palace is carried by Guhyakas where he sits clothed in jewels and surrounded by many women He wears bright ear-rings, is very wealthy has a heavenly seat and foot-stool and is refreshed by breezes from Nandana and Alakā Naṅnī His city Alakā is situated on mount Kailasa and he is over-lord of Yakṣas, Rākṣasas and Guhyakas ²⁰⁰ We are told that Visamaṇa was the lord of the Yakṣas and guarded the northern direction ²⁰¹

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¹⁹² Hopkins, op. cit , p 212

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²⁰⁰ Hopkins op cit pp 142-145

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²⁰¹ Jī ā 3, p 281

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(7) Nāgamahā ²⁰³

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The general abode of the divine serpents, according to Indian mythology, is below earth, where is found Śeṣa, the Nāga of a thousand heads, who supports the earth from beneath ²⁰³ According to a Jain legend, prince Bhagīraha, the grandson of Bharaha, was the first founder of Nāgabali. It is stated that after the sons of Sagara were ²⁰⁴ burnt to death by the Nāga king, Bhagīraha went to draw the water of the Ganges from the neighbouring villages of Atthāvaya Bhagīraha worshipped the Nāgas with bali, flowers etc, and since then the Nāgabali came into vogue.²⁰⁵

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²⁰³ There is a race of people called Nāgas residing upon the elevated region between Assam and Manipur, who are said to be universally dreaded for the devastations they commit upon the inhabitants of the plains, and it is possible that the mythological Nagas may have had their origin in the fears produced by the ravages of the ancient mountaineers, Hardy, Manual of Buddhism p 45 London 1880 see also Rhys Davids Buddhist India, pp 220 ff Atul K Sur Calcutta Review Nov Dec 1932 p 209 Dr Vogel's Indian Serpent Lore (1 3 1f) for various theories of origin of Nāga worship

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²⁰³ Hopkins op cit pp 23 29

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²⁰⁴ The fire-like action ascribed to the Nāga poison is exemplified by various Brāhmanic and Buddhist legends For example according to the Mahābhārata the Nāga Takṣaka by his fiery bite reduced a banyan tree to ashes and king Parīkṣit's hall on fire Even the pool of the Yamunā is described as over-cast with a dense smoke caused by the poison-born fire of the Nāga Kāliya (Dr Vogel op cit p 10)

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²⁰⁵ Uttarā 11 18 p 231a f

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The worship of Nāga (Nāgajanna) is specially mentioned In the north-east of Sāgey ²⁰⁶ there lay a Nāga shrine (Nāgaghara) with an image of a serpent ²⁰⁷ The festival of Nāga (Nāgayaṭṭā) was celebrated with great pomp and ceremony by the queen Paumāvaī The city was swept clean and was sprinkled over with water Then a flower-house (pupphamandava) was made near the shrine where a beautiful huge garland was suspended The queen took bath and in the company of her friends and relations proceeded to the shrine She bathed in the lake and with still moist robe plucked the lotuses and with various flowers, fruits and the incense pot in her hand, entered the temple, where she cleaned the image with a brush (lomahatthaga), burnt incense and worshipped the deity 208 Mention may be made of the worship of Pārśva by Dharaṇendra, who belongs to the Nāgakumāra gods. 209

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²⁰⁶ Mathurā is mentioned as a big centre of Nāga worship where a number of Nāga images have been recovered Then inu Vitastā in Kashmir is said to be the abode of Nāga Takṣaka (Dr Vogel, op cit, pp 41f, 229) Also see Rose, Tribes and castes of Panjab and N W Province, vol I pp 147 ff

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²⁰⁷ The Arthasastra (p 273) mentions an image of a serpent with a hole-hole in it

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