Book Title: Sthaviravali Charitra or Parisista Parva
Author(s): Hermann Jacobi
Publisher: Asiatic Society

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Page 56
________________ lvi PANTSISTATARVAN. CANTO TIE I'IFTH. Prabhaya anxious to find a worthy successor to his own place, in vam mustored his faithful flock But by his mental sight (upayoga) he discovoied among the heretics a fit man in the person of Sayynmblava of the Vatsa gotra, who was just celebrating a sacifice in Rajagrha (1-7) He then proceeded towards Rūjagrhn, despatching two monks to the place where the sacrifice was going on Tliey were to ask alms from the Pricsts, and if the pricst should give them nothing, they should loudly exclaim "Ah, you know not the Truth” All happen. ed as Pinbhava had forcscon, and the monks acted as they had been told Sayyambhavn over hering the strange exclamation of the holy men became unsettled in his inind about the Truth His guruz whom he questioned on this head, of course, affirmed that the Vedas wero Truth, and that there was no Truth beyond the Vedas But Sayyambhava did not let himself be put off in this way He charged his guru with decerving him and the public in order to gain huis livelihood, and he threatened to cut off dus head, if he withheld the Truth from him (8–24) The guru thoroughly intimidated, then confessed that a Jina idol was hudden below the sacrificial post Only by its influence sacrifices could be celebrated, otherwise Nārada, a faithful be. liever in Jina, would hunder any sacrifice He showed the idol to Sayyambhava, and declared that only the dharma of the Jinas was true, and that the Vedas were an imposture, upheld only for the purpose of procuring the priests an easy livelihood (25– 35) Sayyambhava taking an affectionate farewell from his former guru, went in search of the two monks, and at last came to Prabhava whom he asked for instruction in the Jaina religion Prabhaya explained to him the five vows of the Jamas, and when Sayyambhava had renounced his former heretical views, he received dil sã and became a zealous ascetic He learned the fourteen pūrvas and became, after Prabhava's death, the head of the Church (36–54) When Sayyambhava took diksā, he left his young wife behind They had as yet no children This circumstance made the forsaken woman's case appear still

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