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Life in Ancient India as Depicted in the Jain Canons, with Commentaries: An Administrative, Economic, Social and Geographical Survey c7.s6.t6: Prisons

Life in Ancient India as Depicted in the Jain Canons, with Commentaries: An Administrative, Economic, Social and Geographical Survey c7.s6.t6

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English

Prisons

c7.s6.t6.1

There were regular prisons in those days,⁶⁵ although we do not know what kinds of offenders were imprisoned and for what period. But it seems that the general conditions of the prison were not good. The prisoners were severely tortured in the prison and frequently they died. The Vivāgasuya gives a vivid description of a well-equipped prison in Sihapura. Dujjohana was the jailor who provided jails with various kinds of instruments of torture. There were a number of iron-jars filled with copper, tin, lead, lime-water (kalakala) and oil cooked with alkaline ingredients (khāratella) always kept on fire. There were jars containing urine of various animals; handcuffs (hatthaṃduya), fetters (pāyaṃduya), wooden frames to fasten the feet (haḍi), and iron chains; various kinds of whips, stones, sticks, clubs, ropes, traps, swords, saws, razors, iron-nails, leather-straps, needles, hatchets, nail-cutters, and darbha grass. The criminals were made to lie on their backs, their mouths were opened by means of an iron-staff, a red-hot copper etc. and the urine was poured into their mouth; they were tortured by various instruments.⁶⁶ The plight of the prisoners was miserable. They suffered from hunger, thirst, heat, cold, cough and leprosy. Their nails, hair, beard and moustaches were allowed to grow unattended; they lay in their own excrement and urine and died in prisons only. They were dragged by the feet and were thrown away in ditches where they were devoured by wolves, dogs, jackals, big rats (kola), cats, and birds.⁶⁷

c7.s6.t6.2

⁶⁵ According to Jain tradition during the first era the punishment was of a mild character. The first two Kulakaras established the ‘hakkāra’ (expression of regret), then came ‘makkāra’ (prohibition), then was established the punishment of ‘dhikkāra’ (reproach)—dhigdaṇḍa and vāgdaṇḍa are also mentioned in the Yājñavalkya smṛti, I, 13, 367 Then it is said that Ṛṣabhadeva, the first Tīrthaṅkara introduced the punishment of confinement to a particular area (maṇḍalabandha) After that Bharata is said to have introduced caraka or imprisonment and chaviccheya or mutilation of hand, foot and nose etc (Jambu. Sū., 2, 29; Ṭhā., 7. 557).

c7.s6.t6.3

⁶⁶ b, pp. 36 ff.

c7.s6.t6.4

⁶⁷ Panha, 3, p. 54. ⁶⁸ Nāyā., 2, p 54 ff. Compare the Jātaka where the life of the prisoner is described very hard The sad and miserable plight of a released prisoner is taken as a standard of comparison for a person who had not bathed for days together, nor rinsed his mouth nor performed any bodily ablution (P B I, p 159) ⁶⁹ Āia cū, II, p 171. ⁷⁰ Cf. Nāyā, 1, p 20, cf. also Arthaśāstra, p. 165

c7.s6.t6.5

Another reference to prison is made in the Nāyādhammakahā. It is mentioned that once for some slight fault, the merchant Dhanna of Rāyagiha, referred to above, was arrested and was put into prison where the robber Vijaya was undergoing imprisonment. Both were put together and their feet were bound in the same wooden frame The wife of the merchant used to send her husband a sealed tiffin box (bhoyana-piḍaga) every day through her servant. Vijaya requested Dhanna to share his food with him but the latter always refused saying that as he had murdered his daughter he preferred giving it to crows and dogs or he would throw away on dung-hills but he would never share it with a murderer of his own child. Once Dhanna wanted to go to attend the call of nature. He asked Vijaya to accompany him to a place where he could be at ease. But Vijaya refused saying that he had taken plenty of food and drink and hence it was natural for him to go for excretion whereas he had nothing to eat. The merchant again requested the robber and ultimately agreed to share his food with him. In course of time, through the influence of his relatives and friends, and after paying money to the king, Dhanna was released from prison. He immediately left for a hair cutting saloon (alaṅkāriyasabhā), he bathed in a lake and having offered oblations (balıkamma) to the deities, he came home. The robber Vijaya, however, died in the prison and never came out.⁶⁸ We are told about the imprisonment of king Seṇiya who was given hundred lashes every morning and evening; neither food and drink was allowed, nor anybody was permitted to interview the king. Later on, his queen Cellanā was allowed to see him, she concealed food in her hair and offered it to her husband.⁶⁹

c7.s6.t6.6

On certain special occasions, such as the birth of a child, coronation ceremony or festivals general release of prisoners was declared by the king.⁷⁰

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