Life in Ancient India as Depicted in the Jain Canons, with Commentaries: An Administrative, Economic, Social and Geographical Survey c14.t1.65

c14.t1.65

Then it was alright if the king was a devotee of the Jain faith in that case the *Niggantha Samaṇas* were given facilities by the king and the state servants But if the king belonged to a different faith, the lot of the *Samaṇas* was deplorable. Frequently they were banished, their food and drink were stopped and their ritualistic paraphernalia were confiscated and there were occasions when they were put to death ³⁹ It was a custom that at the time of the king's coronation everybody including the eighteen corporations and the *Samaṇas* should visit the king with respectful offerings *argha* ; if the *Nigganthas* (*seyabhikkus*) failed to do so they were dealt with severely ⁴⁰ Under such circumstances the *Nigganthas* had to go in the disguise of Buddhist monks and live on prohibited food, such as roots, flesh, stale food *dosina*, oil-cakes, and the food offered to the crows. In the absence of the ritualistic paraphernalia they picked up rags from the dunghill, took a peacock feather broom (*pehunda*) used hide to cover their body, hid themselves behind the lotus-ponds or the *palāsa* tree during day time and travelled at night.⁴¹