Life in Ancient India as Depicted in the Jain Canons, with Commentaries: An Administrative, Economic, Social and Geographical Survey c14.t3.15

c14.t3.15

Disāpokkhī—They sanctified all sides by sprinkling water and then collected flowers and fruits The Bhagavatī⁸¹ refers to the royal sage Siva of Hatthināpura, who joined the order of the Disāpokkhiyas on the bank of the Ganges. He practised chatthama (a fast, broken at the sixth meal) and on the day on which he broke fast, he sprinkled the eastern quarter, propitiated Soma, the lord of east, and collected bulbous roots, leaves, flowers, fruits, seeds and green vegetables Then he returned to his hut, cleaned the sacrificial altar (vedikā) and went to bathe in the Ganges He made another altar with grass and sand, kindled a fire by the friction of pieces of wood, and keeping ritualistic paraphernalia by his side, offered honey, ghee and rice to the fire Then he prepared caru (oblation), worshipped Vāssadeva and the guests and then took his meal Then Siva observed the chatthama fast again and proceeded to the south to propitiate Yama, then to the west to propitiate Varuna and finally to the north to propitiate Vesamāna Somila was another hermit of Vārānasī who belonged to the same order and was a worshipper of the four disās ⁸² King Pasannacanda also belonged to the same order; he joined the order along with his queen and the nurse ⁸³