Some Jaina Canonical Sutras c19.5

c19.5

In the first part we have excellent literary descriptions of the city of Āmalakalpā, the āmrasālavana shrine, the Aśoka tree, the Prithvīśilāpaṭṭa, king Sveta and queen Dhāriṇī of Āmalakalpā, physical characteristics, and mental and moral qualities of Mahāvīra, the celestial mansion of Sūryābhadeva, its beautiful pillars and opera-hall and pavilion, its maṇipīṭha, throne, Bhadrāsana and vehicles and conveyances The grandeur of the worship is heightened by songs, dances, and instrumental music and enlivened by 32 varieties of dramatic representations (abhinayas). These are described as Caṇḍrāvatī, Sūryāvatī, the rise of the moon, the rise of the sun, and the like. The technical significance of them is not quite clear. In the Nemicandra Sūri's commentary on Uttarajjhayana (XIII) there is mention of a nātyavidhi known as Mahuyarīgīya. Names of some of the musical instruments are given in this sūtra (sec. 23).¹ A list of nine materials associated with writing is also given (sec 43)² How far this mode of worship was consistent with the Jaina conception of austere religious life is not discussed. But the whole affair is described as a matter which concerned the celestial world. The details given of architectural varieties and decorations along with the divya-nātyavidhis are important as bearing upon the development of the śilpa and nātyaśāstras Corresponding to such a description we have pictures of various celestial mansions in the Pāli Vimānavatthu, but the Pāli descriptions pale into insignificance as compared with the Jaina narration. The Buddhist stories seem to belong to a much earlier stage of the Indian literary art and they are utilized only to encourage the practice of piety among the people and not as a means of heightening the glory of the Buddha in particular.