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Life in Ancient India as Depicted in the Jain Canons, with Commentaries: An Administrative, Economic, Social and Geographical Survey c20.s19: Nanda

Life in Ancient India as Depicted in the Jain Canons, with Commentaries: An Administrative, Economic, Social and Geographical Survey c20.s19

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English

Contents

Nanda

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It has already been said that when king Udāyi died without any heir, a barber boy (nhāviyadāsa) ascended the throne of Pātaliputta and was known as the first Nanda.¹²⁴ But it is mentioned that the Dan-

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¹²⁴ It happened sixty years after the Nirvāna of Mahāvīra, (Silav VI 23.-243). Nanda and his descendants continued to rule Magadha till the last Nanda king was deposed by Cānakya 155 years after the death of Mahāvīra (ibid 339).

Pajjoya and Abhaya

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King Pajjoya is said to have fought a number of battles. Once he invaded Rājagaha, when Abhayakumāra is said to have foiled him intelligently. It is said that Abhaya buried iron jars full of dīnāras at a place where the enemy would encamp round the city. When Pajjoya besieged the city, Abhaya sent him a messenger saying that Seniya had already bought over his allies, who would hand him (Pajjoya) over to Seniya, bound hand and foot. If he did not believe it he should dig up the camping ground and see if his confederates had not received the gold. Pajjoya discovered the money and was confused. He was routed by Seniya's army and returned to Ujjenī.¹²⁹

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¹²⁹ According to the Majjhima (III 7), Ajātaśatru, the son of Bimbisāra, fortified Rājagaha because he was afraid of an invasion of his territories by Pradyota.

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When Pajjoya reached Ujjenī, he was told how he had been deceived by Abhaya. Thereupon Pajjoya decided to fetch him from Rājagaha. A courtesan set out with seven other women to Rājagaha, where she pretended to be a chaste widow devoted to the Jain faith. One day they met Abhaya in a Jain temple and invited him to a feast when he was made drunk and was carried to Ujjenī in a horse-chariot. Abhaya lived in the court of Pajjoya for a long time and did his ministerial work.

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Now Abhaya wanted to return home. But before going he took a vow that, as he had been brought by religious deceit (dhammacchalena), he would throw himself into the flames, if he did not avenge himself by taking Pajjoya tied to a bed and crying, through the streets of Ujjenī to Rājagaha. Abhaya left for Rājagaha with his wife.

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After some time Abhaya returned to Ujjenī with two courtesans and began to live as a merchant. King Pajjoya saw them and was enamoured of them. He sent a female-messenger to them twice or thrice, but they drove her out angrily. Later on, they asked Pajjoya to see them on the seventh day. Abhaya also hired a man to become his brother and feign madness. He was given the name of Pajjoya. He would everyday be tied to a cot, taken to the house of a physician, although he cried aloud that he was Pajjoya. Now at the appointed time, Pajjoya met the two courtesan girls, when he was caught and was bound down to the cot and carried through the city, although he cried that he was Pajjoya. Pajjoya was thus carried away to Rājagaha in the presence of Seniya, who came to kill him with his sword but was prevented by Abhaya. Later on, Pajjoya was honoured and was sent back to Ujjenī.¹³⁰

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¹³⁰ Ava. cū., II, pp. 159-163

Pajjoya and Sayāṇiya

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Pajjoya also waged war against Sayāniya, the father of Udayana of Kosambī. When Pajjoya reached Kosambī, Sayāniya transferred his forces from the south bank of the Jamuna to the north bank, where the enemy could not reach easily. The servants of Sayānīya rode on their horses, and cut the nose and ear of the soldiers of Pajjoya. Thus Pajjoya was defeated and fled away in panic.¹³¹

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¹³¹ Ibid., p 167

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It is mentioned that once a painter, who was turned out of the court of king Sayānīya, reached Ujjeni and presented a painting of queen Mīyāvai to Pajjoya. Pajjoya became enamoured of her beauty and sent a messenger to Sayānīya saying that either he should hand over his queen to him or must be prepared for war. As Sayānīya would not yield, Pajjoya marched against him, and the former died of dysentery (atisāra)¹³²

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¹³² Ā.a Cū p 88 f

Pajjoya and Uddāyaṇa

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Another war was declared between Pajjoya and king Uddāyana of Vībhaya. It is said that Uddāyana had a sandalwood image of Mahāvīra in his possession which was looked after by Devadattā, a hunchbacked slave girl. Once a sāvaga from Gandhāra came to worship this image in Vībhaya. He was pleased with Devadattā and gave her some magic pills. Devadattā swallowed one of them and her body was transformed to the semblance of molten gold. Then bearing Pajjoya in mind she swallowed another pill and as a result Pajjoya came hurrying with his elephant, Nalagiri, to take her away. Devadattā, who was now called Suvannagulivā, insisted on taking along the image to which Pajjoya agreed. Next morning, Uddāyana found his slave girl and the image both missing. People saw the foot-prints of Nalagiri, his urine and excrement. Thereupon Uddāyana sent a messenger to Pajjoya saying "I care nothing for the servant girl, send me the image." But Pajjoya would not give the image.

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In course of time, along with his ten vassals, Uddāyana marched against Pajjoya and reached Ujjeni. A fight ensued between Uddāyana and Pajjoya in which the latter suffered a defeat. His forehead was branded with a frontlet reading "Husband of slave girl" (dāsīpati), and Uddāyana hastened back to his town. After some time, the day of pajjosana approached and Uddāyana pardoned Pajjoya and set him at liberty. Then in order to cover the letters dāsīpati, Uddāyana invested him with a golden plate (suvannapatta) and gave him the realm. It is said that from that time the kings were invested with the plate, before this they were invested with the diadem (maudabaddha)¹³³

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¹³³ Uttarā Tī, 18, pp 253 ff, Ava. cū, p. 400 f; For other traditions, see P H A.I pp. 97, 123, 165.

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