Life in Ancient India as Depicted in the Jain Canons, with Commentaries: An Administrative, Economic, Social and Geographical Survey c7.s1.t9.5

c7.s1.t9.5

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