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Life in Ancient India as Depicted in the Jain Canons, with Commentaries: An Administrative, Economic, Social and Geographical Survey c7.s1.t9: Residence Palace

Life in Ancient India as Depicted in the Jain Canons, with Commentaries: An Administrative, Economic, Social and Geographical Survey c7.s1.t9

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Residence Palace

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The palaces are described in the Jain Canons as seven-storyed, adorned with towers and pinnacles and supported by many columns. They are described as lofty, touching the sky and decorated with flags, banners, umbrellas and garlands. They had domes (*thūbhiyā*) and their floors were richly studded with various gems and jewels.³⁰ The Jain texts mention several types of palaces. The *Vyavahāra Bhāṣya* refers to the palaces of Cakravartins, Vāsudevas, Māṇḍalikas and ordinary persons. These palaces are described as one hundred and eight, sixty-four, thirty-two and sixteen hands high in succession.³¹ A distinction is made between a *prāsāda* and a *bhavana*; the former is said to have belonged to gods whereas the latter to kings. A *prāsāda* was usually high and its height was double its width, whereas the height of a *bhavana* was a little less than its width.³²

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³⁰ *Nāyā*., 1. p 22; *Uttarā*. Ṭī., 13, p 189. For similar description in the *Jātakas*, see P.B I, p. 107 f.

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³¹ 9 46f

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³² *Bhag*. Ṭī., 5 7; *Abhidhānārājendrakośa*, under 'pāsāya.'

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The harem (*anteura : oroha*) which was a part of the royal pomp,³³ played an important role in the inner and outer politics of the country. The king's harem consisted of three parts : *jinna-anteura*, *nava-anteura* and *kaṇṇa-anteura*. The first was inhabited by old women, whose youth had departed; in the second lived young ladies, who were in their bloom of youth; in the third lived the girls, who had not attained their prime of youth as yet.³⁴ The kings were fond of enriching their harem with beautiful women and girls without any distinction of caste. At times they being unmindful of public opinion did not mind capturing even married girls and beautiful nuns. The *Bṛhatkalpa Bhāṣya* refers to the five hundred girls, who during a festival of Indra went out to worship the deity. A prince also had gone out to enjoy the festival. The prince asked his servants to take away the girls to the harem and keep them there. Later on, when the parents of the girls lodged a complaint with the king, they were asked, "do you not want to make my son your son-in-law?” and the girls were married to the prince.³⁵ Similarly, a Brāhmaṇa girl named Somā was kept in the harem of Kaṇha Vāsudeva to his younger brother Gayasukumāla. Later on, however, Gayasukumāla did not marry and joined the monastic order of Aritthanemi.³⁶ The king even did not hesitate to lay hands upon the married women. The commentary on the *Kalpa sūtra* mentions king Sumukha of Kosambī, who kept Vanamālā the wife of Viraka in his harem.³⁷ Then we hear of king Vikkamajasa of Kañcanapura, who made the wife of a merchant his queen. The merchant was much grieved, he turned mad and died.³⁸ Further, the *Nisītha Cūrṇi* mentions king Gaddabhilla of Ujjenī who captured the nun-sister of Kālaka and kept her in his harem. Later on, however, in order to take revenge on him, Kālaka left for Persia from where he brought ninety six kings and waged war against Gaddabhilla.³⁹

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³³ Cf. *Nāyā*., 16, p 185

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³⁴ *Nisi*. Cū., 9. p 508, according to the *Bandhana mokkha Jātaka* (I, 120, p. 437) a harem is said to have comprised of sixteen thousand dancing girls; also see *Arthaśāstra*, pp. 39-41; also *Rāmāyaṇa*, II, 10. 12ff; iv. 33. 19ff.

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³⁵ 4, 5153

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³⁶ *Anta*, 3, p 16f

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³⁷ 2, p 40a, also *Dis Cū*, 3, p 105

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³⁸ *Uttarā Tī*, 18 p 239, the *Manicora Jātaka* (II, No 194) describes a similar story of a king, who, seeing the beauty of Bodhisattva's wife, got enamoured of her. The king sent a man, who placed a jewelled crest in his cart. The royal officers declared him to be a thief and took him to the execution ground, also *Dhammapada A*, II, 2f

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³⁹ 10 p 571

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The harem was a great source of danger to the king and was, therefore, carefully guarded by eunuchs⁴⁰ and old men. The eunuchs are mentioned in the *Brhatkalpa sūtra* and its *Bhāṣya*. They were excluded from the membership of the Jain *Sramana Sangha*. About the eunuchs it is said that their nature was womanish, their voice and colour were those of a woman, their penis was long and drooping, their speech was soft, and they passed urine with noise and it was foamy. They walked with a womanish gait looking to the right and the left and behind; they were soft skinned and their bodies were cold to the touch.⁴¹ The *Vivāgasuya* mentions a eunuch who was brought up by his parents to carry on the profession of a eunuch.⁴²

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⁴⁰ According to Vātsyāyana, no man was allowed to enter into the royal harem except relatives and servants and in some provinces artisans, Brāhmanas were allowed to get into the harem for supplying flowers to the ladies, with whom they conversed separated by a screen, Chakladar, *Studies in the Kāmasūtra*, p 179

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⁴¹ 4, 4, 5144 f. Fourteen classes of eunuchs are distinguished here. They are *Pandaya, Vāiya, Kīva, Kumbhī Isīluyā, Saunī, Taklammasī, Pakhiyapakhiyā, Sogandhiyā and Asuta* (ibid, 5166 f, also *Bhā*, 3 212, also cf *Nārada*, XII, 11 ff). On eunuchs see *Kathāsaritsāgara*, Vol III, Appendix “Indian Eunuchs,” pp. 319 329

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⁴² 2, p 19

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The Jain texts mention the following guards to keep watch over the inmates of the harem.⁴³

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⁴³ Kautilya also speaks of the employment of old women and eunuchs in the harem, *Arthasāstra*, p 40.

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1. A *kañchukin* or chamberlain had a free access to the king as well as the inmates of the harem.⁴⁴ He gave reports of the happenings in the harem to the king.⁴⁵ 2 A varisadhara was another guard of the harem. It is said that his testicles were removed by surgical operation (vaddhia) since childhood.⁴⁶

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⁴⁴ *Nisī Cū*, 9, p 508, according to Vācaspati, a *kañcukin* has a free access in the harem, he is old, Brāhmaṇa by caste, virtuous and clever in every thing (*Abhidhānārājendrarkośa*, under ‘kañcuki’).

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⁴⁵ Rāya. Sū., Tī., 210

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⁴⁶ Brh Bhā, 4 5167, Nisī. cū, 9. pp 508, 729, Rāya Sū, Ti., 210. The other methods of making impotent were rubbing the testicles with thumb, the fore-finger and the middle finger and making them ineffective by medicine (appiya), Brh Bhā, 4 5167

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3 A mahattara was an executive officer of the harem. He took the ladies of the harem to the king, told them stories after their menstruation bath, pacified their anger and reported the cause of the anger to the king.⁴⁷

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⁴⁷ Nisī cū, 9 p 508, kañcukīyā and mahattarikā are mentioned by Vātsyāyana, who were employed in the harems of kings They were employed by the queens in sending messages accompanied by various presents to the king, Chakladar, Studies in the Kāmasūtra, p. 109

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4 A daṇḍadhara carried a staff in his hand and kept a watch over the harem⁴⁸

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⁴⁸ Abhidhānarājendrakosa, under 'dandadhara'

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5 A daṇḍārakkhiya, with the permission of the king took a man or a woman into the harem.⁴⁹

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⁴⁹ Ibid under 'daṇḍārakkhiya'

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6 A dovāriya sat at the entrance of the harem with a staff in his hand.⁵⁰

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⁵⁰ Ovā, 7 p. 25 According to the Mātanga Jātaka (IV, No. 497, p. 382), the duty of a dovāriya was to thrash caṇḍālas or similar vagabonds who wanted to peep at the palace, with sticks or bamboo posts, catch them by the throat and fling them on the ground.

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It is to be noted, however, that inspite of the strictest precautions, the women of the harem were often corrupt and immoral to a degree, and such affairs had serious repercussions on the affairs of the state. We come across ministers who had illicit connections with the queens.⁵¹ By bribing the servants the merchants could get entry into the harem. We are told that king Gunacandra of Śrinilayanagara punished a merchant for such an offence.⁵² We are told that when king Seniya of Rājagaha could not get Sujetthā in marriage, he sent Abhayakumāra to Vesāli, who began to live near the royal harem, in the disguise of a merchant. There he established contact with the maid-servants of the harem and managed to kidnap Cellanā.⁵³ Then we are told that all inmates of king Pajjoya's harem except Sivā were violated by Mahissara.⁵⁴ The Brhatkalpa Bhāṣya refers to the girls of the king's harem who used to talk with outsiders from the windows; one day they escaped with their lovers unnoticed.⁵⁵ The prohibition of the monkeys in the harem also shows that the king used to take every precaution to guard the chastity of the inmates of the harem.⁵⁶

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⁵¹ See Vivā, 5 p 35 In the Jātakas a minister guilty of misconduct in the harem, is asked to leave the town He migrates to Kosala and becomes a confidential advisor of the Kosalan king when he instigates border raids and a regular invasion against his old master (Ghata Jātaka, No 355, III, p 168, also Mahīsilava Jātaka, No. 51, I, p 262).

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⁵² Piṇḍa Nir Ti, 127, p 48 a

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⁵³ Ava cū, II, p 165 f.

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⁵⁴ ibid, II, p 176.

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⁵⁵ 1. 991 f.

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⁵⁶ ibid., 5. 5923.

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