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Life in Ancient India as Depicted in the Jain Canons, with Commentaries: An Administrative, Economic, Social and Geographical Survey c15.s3: Sports and Amusements

Life in Ancient India as Depicted in the Jain Canons, with Commentaries: An Administrative, Economic, Social and Geographical Survey c15.s3

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Sports and Amusements

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Various sports and amusements were prevalent in ancient India when people enjoyed with their friends and companions. Various terms such as *chaṇa*, *utsava*, *pamoya pavva* or *saṅkhaḍi* are used to denote festivals or festivities in ancient days. A *chaṇa* was celebrated for a limited period and sweetmeats (*pakvānna*) were prepared on the occasion, whereas there was a time limit in *utsava* and even ordinary food was enough for the occasion.¹⁴⁸

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¹⁴⁸ Vātsyāyana classified the occasional festivities into five groups (1) The festivals in connection with the worship of different deities (*samāja*, *yātrā* and *ghaṭā*) sometimes attended with grand processions, (2) *goṣṭhis* or social gatherings of both sexes, (3) *āpānakas* or drinking parties, (4) *udyānayātrās* or garden-parties and (5) various social diversions in which many persons took part (*samasyākriḍā*)—*Kāmasūtra* Sū 26, p 44

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Various toys and playthings are mentioned for small boys and girls Reference is made to cowries (*khullaya*), lac-marbles (*vaṭṭaya*), game of tip-cat (*aḍoliyā*), ball (*tindusa*), doll (*pottulla*) and cloths (*sādollaya*)¹⁴⁹ Then we had bow (*sarapāyaya*), the bullock (*gorahaga*), earthern pot (*ghaḍi-ga*), drum (*ḍiṇḍima*), and the ball of cloth (*celagola*).¹⁵⁰

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¹⁴⁹ *Nāyā* 18, p. 207.

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¹⁵⁰ *Sūya* 2 13 f, for other games and recreation see *Digha* I, p 6, also *Majjhima* I, p 266, *Sumangala Vilāsinī*, Pt. I, pp. 84 f.

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For grown-up people there were public gardens where people clad in nice dress, went hand in hand with their lovers for merry-making They left their homes in the morning and spending the whole day in the open air returned in the evening. Reference has been made to two merchants of Campā who went for a picnic in the company of a courtesan¹⁵¹ There were special parks for the kings.¹⁵² Then people went for picnics to a river (*nadī*), pond (*sara* or *taḍāga*), tree (*rukkha*),¹⁵³ shrine (*ceiya*) and mountain (*giri*).¹⁵⁴

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¹⁵¹ See Supra, p 166, cf *Kāmasūtra*, chakladar, *Social life in ancient India* p. 163

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¹⁵² *Pinda*. Nir. 214-5.

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¹⁵³ The *Jīvā* (3, p, 151a) refers to the festival of planting of trees (*rukkharovana*)

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¹⁵⁴ *Nāyā*. 1, p. 39, *Jīvā* op cit ; *Nisītha cūrṇi* (12, p 808) mentions *aḍamaha*, *sāgaramaha*, *thūbha*, *gāmamahajattā*, *nagaramaha*, *madamaha*, *donamuha*, *paṭṭana*, *āgāra*, *sambāhu*, and *sannivesa*. Mountain worship is mentioned in the *Arthasāstra* (p 237) For river worship and tree worship see Rose, *Tribes and Castes of the Punjab* and *N W Province* Vol I, p 134f.

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Jain texts mention various festivities and pastimes. The feast of *puṇṇamāsinī* was celebrated on the full moon day of the month of *kārttika*.¹⁵⁵ On the day of *kaumudīmahotsava* men and women left their residence after sunset and spent whole night in enjoyment.¹⁵⁶ *Madanatrayodaśī* was another festival which was celebrated in honour of *Kāma*, the Indian cupid.¹⁵⁷ Then *ujjāṇiyā* feast is mentioned which was celebrated in Sindhunandana when the women of the town enjoyed in various ways.¹⁵⁸ The festival in honour of *Nagaradevatā* was celebrated in which the circumambulation of the temple was held ¹⁵⁹ In the festival known as bahumilakkhamaha many non-Aryan people (mleccha) assembled ¹⁶⁰ dāsī-maha was celebrated by the maid-servants, ¹⁶¹ then thānuppāyamaha had no fixed day and it was held at any time whenever the guests were received.¹⁶² Then the feast of ¹⁶³ noodles (ittaga, com sevokikā) is mentioned Then the birthday feast was celebrated with great pomp and ceremony as we have seen already ¹⁶⁴ Cāummāsiyamajjanaya was another ceremony which was held after four months of rainy season We are told that during this ceremony a flower-house was made on the high road which was decorated with beautiful huge garlands and the designs in five coloured rice grains were prepared over the city Then the princess was seated on the throne facing the east and was given a bath with white and yellow pitchers and afterwards was decorated with all kinds of ornaments ¹⁶⁵ Then we had samaccharapadilehana or the annual birthday feast.¹⁶⁶ The Vivāgasuya refers to ten days feast celebrated after the completion of a kūdāgārasālā We are told that during this period the king made his subjects free from taxes ¹⁶⁷

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¹⁵⁵ *Bṛh. Bhā* 2·1451, also mentioned in the *Vaṭṭaka Jātaka* (No 118), I, p 432 f

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¹⁵⁶ *Sāya*. Ṭī 11·75, p 413; also *Digha*. I, p. 47, cf *Kāmasūtra*, chakladar, op cit p 170.

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¹⁵⁷ *Nāyā*. Ṭī 2, p. 80a.

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¹⁵⁸ *Uttarā*. Ṭī. 18, p. 246a,

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¹⁵⁹ Ava Ti (Hari) p 397 a f

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¹⁶⁰ Nisi cu 12, p 810

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¹⁶¹ Uttarc T 8, p 124

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¹⁶² Bth Bha 1 1914

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¹⁶³ Pinda Nir 466 Visi cu 13 p 870 Perhaps it may correspond to the feast of rakṣa-bandhana or saluno held in North India

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¹⁶⁴ See Supra p 150

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¹⁶⁵ Nāya 8, p 103

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¹⁶⁶ Ibid, 8, p 96

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¹⁶⁷ 3 p 27

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Among religious festivals the pajjosana was the most favoured festival of the Jains. This festival was held on punnimā, pañcami, dasamī and other pavva days Later on, we are told that from the time of Ajja Kālaga in place of pañcamī the day of caturthī was declared as the day of pajjosana It is stated that once Kālaga arrived in the city of Paitthana where he was received with great pomp by king Salivāhana Kalaka had declared the fifth day of the bright half of bhāhapada as the day of pajjosana but since this was the day fixed for the festival of Indra, at the request of the king, Kālaka changed the day of pañcamī to caturthī This festival was also known as samanapūyā ¹⁶⁸

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¹⁶⁸ Nisi cu 10, p 632 f

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Sankhaḍi (Sankhaṭi in Pali)¹⁶⁹ or bhojja was another great feast which played an important part in ancient India Sankhaḍi is so called because at this time animals were killed in large numbers ¹⁷⁰ This feast was celebrated either for one day (egadu asam) or for many days (an gadwasam) in the first part of the day (purasankhaḍi) or after sunset (pucchasankhaḍi) Girijanna (giriyajna) is mentioned in Vraja when food was taken at night and the milk was drunk early in the morning anunodavacelā) ¹⁷¹ Girijanna was also celebrated in Lāta during rainy season ¹⁷² In order to enjoy a sankhaḍi, people made a pilgrimage to different places In Selapura sankhaḍis were held every year at the lake Isitalāga for eight days. These feasts were also celebrated in Bharuyakaccha, Pabhāsa, Abbuya, at the eastern bank of the river Sarassai near Ānandapura, Ujjenta, Nāyasanda and Siddhasilā. In these sankhaḍis the monks of other sects such as Śākya, Bhauta and Bhāgavatas assembled; there were regular discussions between them. There in the gardens the drunken voluptuaries dressed in fantastic garments, gesticulated with their hands and sang erotic songs, and there the men and women, drunk and decked in fineries, played. The Jain monks were allowed to attend these feasts only if held at holy places, because only at holy places they could preserve their right faith (samyaktva), otherwise there was possibility of their being insulted, poisoned or even killed at the hands of heretics¹⁷³

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¹⁶⁹ See Majjhima I, p 448

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¹⁷⁰ See Supra p 126 also B h Bh 1 3110

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¹⁷¹ Ibid, 4 4881 Also cf 172 bhn ta, II 53 22, Harivansa, II 17 11 ff

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¹⁷² Brh Bh 1 2800, A 11 p 690

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¹⁷³ Bṛh su 1 47 and the Bhāṣya (1 3139-3206) also Ācā II, 1 2, 3 236 ff, Das 7 16f

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Then various household ceremonies are mentioned Avāha was held before wedding when betel etc. were served;¹⁷⁴ āheṇa was held at the time of the bride entering the bridegroom's house; paheṇa was celebrated when she returned to her father's house. Then hingola was held in honour of the diseased person or ajaksa, in piṇḍanigara, food was offered to fathers. Then sammela or gotthi was a social gathering in which the relatives and friends assembled¹⁷⁵ The gotthis are described as having been granted licences by the king, as given to much dissipation and as possessing considerable funds.¹⁷⁶ Then taverns (pānāgāra) and gambling houses (jūyakhalaya) are mentioned¹⁷⁷

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¹⁷⁴ Jīva 3, p 280a, cf Kusa Jataka (No 531 translation), p 145 In, 1 that is called Jin marriage as opposite to avaha, a daughter's marriage in the 9th edic of Puv 1

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¹⁷⁵ Vi cū 8 p 302 Ica II 1 3 245 According to the Jain tradition king Bandhuma first promulgated this feast, Āca cu II, p 172

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¹⁷⁷ Nāyā 2 p 45 [^178]: Uttarā 4, p 751f

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¹⁷⁶ Uttarā Ṭī 13, p 191

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Lastly we come to combat or wrestling which was a favourite pastime of rich people. The kings took keen interest in it, and they appointed their own wrestlers. We are told that king Sihagiri of Sopārāya offered money to wrestlers who came out victorious The wrestler Attana of Ujjayini took part in the wrestling tournament (juddhamaha) every year and won the flag of honour. He went as far as Kosambī and defeated the royal wrestler and was honoured by the state¹⁷⁸ There were wrestlers who could combat with one thousand persons at a time (sahassamalla)¹ Then cock and peacock fights were other popular pastimes in ancient India Hundreds and thousands were staked and a huge number of people assembled to watch such fights.¹⁸⁰ Reference has been made to a peacock-fight that was held in Campā The peacock brought hundreds and thousands to its owner Combats of buffaloes, bulls, horses and elephants are referred to¹⁸¹

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¹ Nāyā 2 p 45

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¹⁸⁰ Ina Bhā 1, p 92af A wrestling match is described in the Ghaṭa Jātaka (IV 71) pp 81f in which the wrestlers Cāṇūra and Muṭṭhika took part, also cf Hu na Poona, 1936 XXVIII p 218 ff for a beautiful description of wrestling, also VI 11ā JV, 15

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¹⁸¹ Ācā II, 11 p 392, cf Dīgh. I, p 6, also Vāj a ilya rth (17, p 255)

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Then we come across various people who earned their bread by exhibiting various performances. There were acrobats, dancers, rope-walkers, etc. already mentioned above. We hear of pole-dancer's tricks. At the top of the pole there was a horizontal wooden attachment on which were nails which attached themselves to the shoes. When the acrobat holding the sword and shield started walking, the nails attached themselves to the already prepared sockets in the shoes. Very carefully at every step he engaged and disengaged the nails, because a slight carelessness meant death. Even the kings in the company of their queens attended such performances.¹⁸²

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¹⁸² Ava. cū p 484 f, cf Dhammapada Aṭṭhakathā Vol IV, pp 59 ff

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