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day and night. His methods of enjoyment varied from season to season. He took keen delight in thirty-two kinds of dramatic representations to the accompaniment of music and dances performed by beautiful women. Thus there appears to have been nothing extra-ordinary in his early career except that he was a rich, healthy, influential and clever prince, who was brought up in affluence and luxury.
JAIN JAMĀLI
Relying on purely canonical evidence, the marriage of Jamāli to the daughter of Mahāvīra seems to be of somewhat dubious character. It is obvious from the Bhagavati that he had eight wives. All of them were young girls, born of noble families, refined, elegant, graceful and having practically identical complexion, age, appearance and beauty. But as regards their names and parentage, the account of the Bhagavatī is silent. There is not even a slight hint in this or any other canon, which may justify the general belief that Jamali was the son-in-law of Mahavira. On the other hand, exegetical literature depicting Jamali as nephew and son-inlaw of Mahavira does not confirm the view of the Bhagavati that he had more than one wife.
The Agamic account concerning Jamali's life is neither in accord nor in discord with the current belief, which represents him as nephew and son-in-law of Mahavira. The commentators of the Kalpasūtra', the Sthānanga, the Uttaradhyayana, the Viseṣāvasyaka, etc., are unanimous in regarding him as closely related to Mahavira. There is some confusion as regards the names of Mahavira's sister and daughter. The Acaranga (400) and the Kalpasūtra (109) name his sister as Sudarsana and daughter as Anavadyangi or Priyadarśana. But in commentaries, we find the names Anavadyangi or Jyestha or even Sudarśanā.
Now the question arises how far we should regard the popular belief regarding worldly relation of Mahavira and Jamali as authentic in the
1. Kalpalatà p. 121A: तया सह सुखमनुभवतो भगवतः प्रियदर्शनानाम्नी पुत्री जाता । भागिनेयस्य जमालेः परिणायिता ; p. 121B: भगवतो भगिनी सुदर्शना जमाले: माता ।
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3.
4. बृहद्वृत्ति: [ मलधारी हेमचंद्र ] p. 935 तस्य च भायो श्रीमन्महावीरस्य दुहिता
2. Sthānāngavrtti p. 389B : तत्र जमालि: क्षत्रियकुमारो, यो हि श्रमणस्य भगवतो महावीरस्य भागिनेयो भगवद्दुहितुः सुदर्शनाभिधानाया भर्ता 1
Commentary by Santyacarya p. 153B तत्र स्वामिनो कोठा भगिनी सुदर्शना नाम, तस्था: पुत्रो जमालि:, स स्वामिनो मूले प्रत्रजितः पञ्चभिः समं तस्य च भाव स्वामिनो दुदिताऽनवाङ्गी नाम्नी द्वितीयं नाम प्रियदर्शना ।
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