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witness it. He unyoked his bulls, took his food packet (containing rice and pulses boiled together) and the rope (that. was tied to the bulls' neck) in his hands and took the road to Sráva sti. On the way, he saw Purana Kassa pa fleeing. Said he to him,
"Bhante! I am going to see the display of occult powers by the Aryans. Whither bound you are at such a rapid pace?"
Purana Kassa pa who was still running said,
"What have you got to do with the display of this occult power? Give that food-packet and rope to me".
So saying, he extended his hand at once. The peasant gave both the things to him. Pūrana Kassa pa took them and came to the bank of the river. With the rope, he tied the food packet round his neck. Then without speaking a single word, out of profound shame, he jumped into the river and lost his life. He was born (thereafter) in the hell.
About the above record of Purana Kassa pa's death, it is very difficult to say if the account comes in any way near to facts; but such is the Buddhist chronicle. Needless to add, the record is far from convincing. The impropriety of the account is further indicated by the fact that while the life-story of Purana Kassapa is the main theme under consideration, the chronicle did not fail in the end to introduce the nir granthas as 'fleeing out of shame'. (This was wholly uncalled for). The same source (Atthakatha) reveals that Pūraņa Kassapa was a slave in a richman's family. This is also not very convincing. A man who was rich in experiences (Purna) and who was a Brāhmana (Käsya pa) by caste could not surely have been a born slave (12).
Pakudha Kaccāyana:
Pakudha Kaccāyana had discarded the use of cold water: only hot water was acceptable to him (13). He was born beneath a kakuddha tree because of which he took the prefix kakuddhato his name (14). According to the Prisno - vanisad (1.1), he was a contemporary of Rşi Fippa lāda and
| SR No. | 022804 |
| Book Title | Agama And Tripitaka Comparative Study |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | Nagaraj Muni |
| Publisher | Today and Tomorrows Printers and Publishers |
| Publication Year | 1986 |
| Total Pages | 804 |
| Language | English |
| Classification | Book_English |
| File Size | 19 MB |