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Life in Ancient India as Depicted in the Jain Canons, with Commentaries: An Administrative, Economic, Social and Geographical Survey c15.s1.t3: The Vijjāharas

Life in Ancient India as Depicted in the Jain Canons, with Commentaries: An Administrative, Economic, Social and Geographical Survey c15.s1.t3

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The Vijjāharas

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The Vijjāharas or “wisdom-holders” were spirits like fairies or sylphs who occupied an important place in the Jain texts.¹⁰⁴ The Vijjāharas were essentially spirits of the air (*khecara*), and were described as travelling in their excellent cars (*caracimāna*) which they could make at their will. They are represented as devotees of Jain religion and frequently we meet them bound for the pilgrimage of the Nandisara dīva or the Atthivava mountain.¹⁰⁵ The Vijjāharas also joined the Jain ascetic order :* they are represented as wicked beings carrying off the maidens during the time of their wedding.¹⁰⁷ The home of the Vijjāharas was chiefly the mountain Veyaddha. Several Vijjāhara rulers are mentioned¹⁰⁸

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¹⁰⁴ These spells are also mentioned in the *Divyāvadāna* (xxxiii, 636 f).

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¹⁰⁵ The Vijjāharas also appears in the *Bharhut Inscriptions* (209). The *Vijjāharas* are said to be a king of sem-human beings possessing the knowledge of magic arts and resident in the Himalaya mountains (Hoernle’s Readings from the Bharhut stūpa). In the *Kusa-jātaka* (No. 391) III, p. 303 f. they are described as a being given to night dalliance and seduction, and accustomed to perform by day penance by standing in a ment in a cremation ground, standing on one leg while saluting the sun cf. *Kusa-Jātaka* (No. 436), III, p. 528. The *Vāyupurāṇa* (LXIX) enumerates three original groups of *Vijjāharas*, which gave rise to several gems of the *Kumāra* clan. *Inscriptions*, p. 89 f; Barua and Sinha, also see *Mārkaṇḍeya*, pp. 401-41.

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¹⁰⁶ *Cūla Ti.* 9, 137a f. 13, p. 136a.

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¹⁰⁷ *Bri.*, 4, p. 135.

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¹⁰⁷ *Ibid*, 9, p 137a, 13 p 189a 18, p 235

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¹⁰⁸ Cf *Uttarā Ṭī* 22 p 227, 13 p 241a 18 p 239, 13 p 193a 9 p 135, 18 p 247 It is stated that Nami and Vinami the sons of Kaccha and Mahakaccha were brought up like his own sons by Usabha But when Usabha renounced the world and distributed the kingdom among his sons, Nami and Vinami were not present Later on when they approached Usabha and asked for their share Dhaiana gave them forty eight thousand vijjas, among which Mahārohıṇī Paṇṇatti, Gorī Vijjumuhi Mahājāla Iṇikkhamani and Bahurūvā were the chief Afterwards in the northern region of Veyaddha Vinami established sixty towns such as Gaganavallaha, etc, and in the southern region Nami established fifty towns such as Rahaneuracakkavāla etc (*Kalpa Ṭī* p 203 Vasu p 161), also *Paumacariya*, III, 144 ff, V 13 ff, *Āva cū* p 161 f)

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