Life in Ancient India as Depicted in the Jain Canons, with Commentaries: An Administrative, Economic, Social and Geographical Survey c20.s20.7

c20.s20.7

It is mentioned that after Kunāla, Samprati came to the throne of Ujjeni. Staying in Ujjeni, he conquered the whole of Dakkhiṇāvaḥa and brought all the frontier states under his subjugation. Samprati is said to be a very powerful ruler of Ujjeni and a great patron of Jain religion. He gave away charities at the four gates of the city and offered garments etc. to Jain monks. Whatever food was left after being distributed to the poor and the orphans was given to the Jain monks (because the Jain monks are not allowed to accept food from a king). Samprati paid for this food to the cooks. He was a great devotee of the *sramanas* and he glorified the "Samana Sangha." He called the kings of the neighbouring countries and asked them to show devotion towards *sramanas*. At the festival of *rahajattā*, he used to walk in the company of Danda, Bhada and Bhojika etc. with the chariot and offered flowers, scents, ornaments, and cowries. Samprati celebrated the worship of Jain image with great pomp and show, when other kings also joined him. He told his vassal kings that he did not want money, but if they considered him to be their lord, they were to pay their respect to the *samanas*. Samprati proclaimed non-killing (*amāri-tā*) and he built temples. He trained his warriors and sent them in the disguise of Jain monks to border lands (*paccantadesa*) and thus made Andhia, Dravida, Mahārāstra, Kudukka, Surāstra and other countries suitable for the movement of Jain monks.¹³⁶