Life in Ancient India as Depicted in the Jain Canons, with Commentaries: An Administrative, Economic, Social and Geographical Survey c9.t2.49

c9.t2.49

Despite these precautions, famines occured mainly on account of scarcity of rain We have referred to a long famine which broke out in Pāṭaliputta during the reign of Chandragupta Maurya. Uttarāpatha was visited by another famine during the time of Vairasāmi⁵⁴ Still another famine is mentioned in Dakkhināvaha which is said to have lasted for a long time.⁵⁵ The *Vyavahāra Bhāṣya* preserves a tradition of still another famine in Kosala when a certain *śrāvaka*, who had hoarded plenty of grain, did not allow the five hundred Jain monks to leave the country during the famine Later on, however, when the prices of grain went up he sold his grain and the *sādhus* for want of food committed suicide and were devoured by vultures⁵⁶ During famine people even sold their children⁵⁷