The Forest of Thieves and the Magic Garden: An Anthology of Medieval Jain Stories (Penguin Classics)

by Phyllis Granoff

  This Blessed Goddess holds the following attributes in her four arms: in her right arms she holds a sprout of mangoes and a noose and in her left arms she holds a child and an elephant goad. The colour of her skin is the soft and gentle glow of liquid gold. She lives on the peak of Mount Revaya as the protecting Goddess of the Jina Nemināha. Adorned with every kind of ornament on every part of her body, sporting a crown, earrings, a pearl necklace, jewelled bracelets and anklets, she grants all the wishes of faithful Jains and prevents any harm from coming to Jain believers. She shows to those who are devoted to Jainism all kinds of spells and magic diagrams, and displays before them many a wondrous power. Through her power no evil spirit, ghost, goblin or witch can work its magic on a devotee, and the faithful grow rich, become kings, and have fine wives and sons.

  (from the Vividhatīrthakalpa of Jinaprabhasūri, No. 61)

  24

  RUDRADATTA’S BELOVED

  In a region in the territory of Líṭa there was a city called Gudakhedaka, home to wise men, much money and a plentiful supply of grain. Jinadatta, a pious Jain layman, lived there with his wife Jinadattā, who was also devoted to the Jain faith. They had a daughter Jinamati, steeped in the Jain doctrine. She was skilled in all the arts and endowed with humility. In that same town lived the rich merchant Nāgadatta; he had a young and beautiful wife named Nāgadattā. They had a handsome son named Rudradatta. He was a delight to all of his family; he was virtuous and a faithful devotee of the god Rudra or Śīva.

  Now one day Nāgadatta asked Jinadatta if he would give his daughter Jinamati in marriage to Rudradatta. When Jinadatta heard Nāgadatta’s request, he replied, Tam an extremely pious Jain and you are equally devoted to your god éiva. There is no way that pious Jains can marry those who believe in āiva; we feel that those who believe in Śiva are perverse and stupid in their beliefs’. When Rudradatta heard what Jinadatta said, he declared, ‘Really all religions are one; there is no difference between them. Uncle, I will become a Jain right away!’ With these words Rudradatta hastened to a Jain temple. With lust in his heart he approached the monk Samādhigupta and abandoning his devotion to Śiva he accepted the Jain religion. When Jinadatta learned that Rudradatta had become devoted to the Jain Faith, he gave his daughter Jinamati to him. Once he married the girl, the deceitful Rudradatta renounced the Jain Faith and once more began to follow the Śaiva way.

  One day, after they had eaten and Jinamati was relaxing, Rudradatta saw his chance. He said to her, ‘Lovely one, Śiva has proclaimed the ritual of consecration which puts an end to all suffering and is without flaw; it is of benefit even to miserable, sinful souls. This Śaiva consecration is not diminished in its efficacy even by millions of sins. Śiva, husband of the goddess Gaurī, has said that it is of benefit even to those who are filled with hatred. For it is said in one of the texts,

  This pure, flawless ritual of consecration destroys all sin. It has been proclaimed by Śiva expressly for the benefit of the most wretched souls.

  ‘This rite of consecration sacred to Śiva is still effective even for those people who harbour hatred against their teacher and commit a hundred sins; thus Śiva himself proclaimed. Give up your Jain religion, which no important people believe in anyway, and accept the religion of Śiva, which grants the happiness of Final Release.’

  When Jinamati heard her husband’s words she said to him, ‘My love, I have no intention of giving up my Jain faith. Why don’t you give up your belief in Śiva, which is so dear to you, and fix firmly in your mind that Jain religion, which is dear to the wise?’ Now hearing these words of his wife, Rudradatta replied, ‘How can the doctrine of the Jinas be better than the éaiva ritual of consecration?’ At that Jinamati suggested, ‘Why don’t you just continue in your worship of éiva and I will continue in my devotion to the Jina.’ Her charming husband answered his captivating wife with these words, ‘But I cannot allow you to practice your Jain religion’ Thus these two spent much of their time listening to each other discourse on religion, sometimes debating, sometimes quarrelling, often arguing.

  One day Rudradatta said to his wife, who was always respectful and well-behaved, though she continued to be devoted to the doctrine of the Jinas, ‘If I ever catch you going to the Jain temple again or giving alms to Jain monks, I will throw you out of this house. But if you go to the temple of Rudra and with faith in your heart give alms to the éaiva ascetics, then I shall adore you, my lovely wife!’ When she heard this Jinamati stood her ground, ‘If you force me to do as you say, my master, then I shall die. Or let us try this: you stop going to the temple of éiva and I will no longer go to the Jain temple to worship the image of the Jina’ Each one then rashly made a promise to the other, but there they were, living together in that house, each one practicing his own religion.

  Just to the east of the city Gudakhedaka there was a dense forest with many trees. It was inhabited by barbaric people and tribals and was a favorite haunt of tigers, lions and other ferocious beasts. One day a wild horde came out of the forest and descended on the city, setting it ablaze. As the city was engulfed in flame, all the townsmen with their wives and children ran here and there, not knowing what to do. The sky was red with flames as far as the eye could see; gradually the blaze reached Rudradatta’s house. Jinamati, her lotus-like face beaming, approached her beloved husband Rudradatta, who was devoted to éiva. ‘You have often sung the praises of your devotion to éiva to me, but there was no place for éiva in my heart, which was already given to the Jina. And I in turn often spoke to you about the religion of the Jina, which delights the wise, but you were not impressed. My lord! The god who rescues us from this danger, the god who spares us and our home, let that god be our refuge!’

  When Rudradatta heard Jinamati’s words he said, ‘Lovely lady! Well put. What you have said is surely pleasing to the mind. Who can save living beings, if not SŚva, husband of Gaurī, the one who rides on a bull? How could the universe obey the will of any god other than that one, who brings delight to all the world? How could I even begin to describe the wondrous qualities of that god, who brings all living beings under his sway through his divine play?’

  When Jinamati heard these words she said to her husband, who was deluded and devoted to éiva, ‘If your god has any power, then let him quench this fire, O love, without much further ado!’ Hearing his wife’s words, Rudradatta said to his wife, whose entire body shuddered with delight in her great faith in the Jina, ‘O fair-hipped one, what do I care about this trivial fire, that will die out anyway? I have all I want, my firm faith in éiva.’ And having said this to his beloved, Rudradatta took a vessel for worship filled with things like curds and sacred grass. He stood there, muttering some sounds. Rudradatta prayed to éiva. He faced north and poured the contents of the vessel on his own head. ‘O protectors of the world! Hear my words!’ proclaimed Rudradatta, intent on protecting his world. He went on, ‘the religion of devotion to éiva is the correct way, and if éiva is the highest god; if the world emerges from his heart at his will; if the consecration ritual leads to Final Release and is truly flawless and pure, then may that god éiva protect me and all the world, and all my family, too.’

  But as Rudradatta recited the name of éiva the flames only blazed more brightly and fiercely around him, twice as fierce, three times as fierce. Then Jinamati said to Rudradatta, who by now was quite thoroughly terrified, ‘Collect yourself and call upon a different god this time’. Obedient to his wife’s words, he began to call out the name of Brahmā, Skanda, Visnu; of Agni, the sun, the moon, the planets, even Gauri. But the fire went right on blazing, lighting up everything everywhere with its flames, fanned by a wind as fierce as the wind that blows at the end of time.

  Rudradatta said to his beloved, ‘My love, none of these gods whom the masses worship is really god, who can protect us from this fire as we call on him for aid. Worship your Jina, who like the moon gives light in the darkness, O lovely one! Make an offering to him so that we may be saved from this impending
disaster.’ Thus her husband and her children implored Jinamati. Jinamati first renounced desires for worldly things in thought and in deed. She then made this pronouncement: ‘If there really are Noble Ones, who have reached Omniscience, who are free from all passions and beyond the range of all harm, devoid of lust and delusion; if there truly exists the doctrine of the Jinas, that one should never do violence to a living creature, the doctrine that teaches compassion to all living beings, that is the source of happiness in this world and the next and has been proclaimed by the noble ones; if moreover that doctrine is the true consecration that leads to Final Release and puts an end to all of transmigratory existence, then may it protect me and my husband and children.’ These words of hers resounded throughout the world. She then made an offering to the Jina and stood silently in meditation. As she was standing there in meditation, her mind firm, the fire suddenly vanished along with the horde of barbarians, both terrified of her power. The terror that the blazing fire had struck in the hearts of the frightened people was also gone, as if it was itself in fear of Jinamati.

  When he saw that miracle Rudradatta, calm in mind, renounced his faith in éiva and became a Jain. Many were those who had been unwilling to express any opinion before, but who now also became pious lay Jains, firm in the right belief.

  (from the Brhatkathakosa of Hariṣeṇa, No. 54)

  25

  PADMALATĀ

  Amerchant asked Padmalatā, his fifth wife, the reason for her firm faith in the Jain doctrine.’ Padmalatā said to him, ‘Listen while I tell you the reason for my firm faith in the Jain doctrine’.

  ‘There is a charming city called Campā in the country of Añga. There reigned the glorious king Dantivāhana. The king’s chief queen was named Vinayasokā she was endowed with humility and virtuous conduct and the king loved her very much. Now in this same city there lived a rich merchant named Ṛṣabhadatta; his wife was named Padmāvatī. They were very much in love with each other.’ They had a daughter named Padmasri, who was endowed with firm faith in the Jain doctrine and was as lovely as a tender lotus blossorh. There was another merchant in the city named Buddhadāsa, who was a committed Buddhist. His wife was named Buddhasrī and she, too, was a devout Buddhist. They had a son Buddhasamgha, who brought joy to their eyes and hearts. He was endowed with faith in the Buddha, as well as being very handsome indeed.

  ‘One day Buddhasamgha was making his rounds of the temples in the city and came in turn to the magnificent Jain temple.’ There he saw Padmaérī worshipping the Jina with flowers. Buddhasamgha was immediately smitten with love. When he got home he refused to eat or sleep or do anything at all. He took to his bed in silence. When his mother saw her son lying there in his bed, not saying a word, suffering, his face looking like a withered lotus, she asked him, “Son, why do you spurn food, flowers, betel, your bath and fine fragrances, saffron and the like, to lie there so pathetically in bed?” When Buddhasamgha heard his mother’s words, stung by the arrows of love, he sighed with deep hot breaths and said, “I swear that if and only if I can have Padmas’i, the daughter of Ṛṣabhadatta, as my wife, will I live. If I do not get this woman who delights my eyes and heart, then I promise you, Mother, I will die tomorrow.”

  When his mother heard what he said, she feared that he might indeed die and she told his father all that had happened. Having heard his wife’s words, the father told his son, ‘Son! We are Buddhists; we even eat meat. Everyone knows that PadmasŚri’s father is a devout Jain; how could he who reveres the Jina as his god give his daughter to the likes of us? But wait, I have an idea of how we can get him to give us his daughter. My child, take heart. You will renounce being a Buddhist.’

  ‘Having decided together on this stratagem, the father and son happily went to see Yaāodhara, the best of Jain monks. They sat down near the monk and listened to him expound the Jain doctrine.’ Then the two of them accepted the duties of Jain laymen: not to harm living creatures, not to lie, not to steal, not to commit adultery and not to be overly attached to their possessions. Thus they pretended to become pious Jains and bowed down to the monk in mock devotion. They abandoned their practice of Buddhism and began to worship the Jina; they gave alms to the Jain monks time and time again and happily observed the Jain fast days.

  ‘The merchant, Padmasri’s father, saw their devotion to the Jain faith and the Jain community and began to feel real affection for them as fellow Jains. One day Buddhadāsa was fasting and praying in the Jain temple. Padmasri’s father was pleased and invited him to his house to break his fast’. When it was time to eat, he gave him a fragrant drink. Buddhadāsa, lowering his head in respect, said to him, ‘O Ṛṣabhadatta! If you give your daughter Padmaérī to my son in marriage, then I will eat this meal When he heard this, the merchant stood before him and replied, ‘Everyone knows that we are pleased to give our daughters to pious Jains’ After he had indeed given his daughter to Buddhadāsa, the two men sat down to eat with proper ceremony.

  ‘Ṛṣabhadatta worshipped the Jinas, who had conquered their enemies, with great fanfare, with flowers and incense and other things’. He spared no expense in celebrating the marriage of his daughter to Buddhadāsa’s son. The marriage was performed with all due ceremony, to the auspicious sounds of drums and conches. Having married Padmaérī with all the proper rituals, the son undertook a fast. That done, both father and son considered that they had completed what they set out to do.

  ‘Now one day a Buddhist monk expounded the Buddhist doctrine in all its details to Padmasri, but she was firm in her faith in Jainism and was not interested in becoming a Buddhist. The monk told her again and again how the Buddhist doctrine was beneficial to all living beings; how it was a doctrine of compassion for all beings and how it resulted in happiness. ‘O Mother, I have knowledge of the three times, past, present and future. Buddhists gain such knowledge and are content in this world. With my excellent knowledge that is always correct, never wrong, I know everything, exactly as it exists. I know, for example, that your father foolishly practiced the religion of the Jinas and has been reborn as a deer in a dangerous and terrifying forest’ ‘When Padmaāri heard this, she said, ‘lcan imagine just what kind of knowledge you have, that lets you know without any doubt that my father has become a deer in a forest crowded with trees!’

  ‘One day Padmaāri invited all the Buddhist monks to her home and they all came with their shoes and umbrellas and took their proper places. The Buddhist monks, eaters of meat, carefully took off their shoes and put them in a corner of the room and then they sat down in the proper order. Padmaérī quickly took one shoe from each pair and tore it up into tiny pieces. She made those pieces into tasty dishes for them to eat, fragrant, rich, with many different flavors’. Padmaérī then served them the dishes she had made and they ate heartily, savouring the food and snapping their fingers in delight. When they had finished eating and went to get their shoes, they were astonished to find only one shoe from each pair. They politely asked Padmasśrī, ‘Buddhist lay disciple! We put our shoes in this room, but now there is only one shoe from each pair. The second shoe of each pair is nowhere to be seen. Find our shoes for us so that we can go home.” When Padmaśrī heard their question, she replied, “You all have knowledge that reveals all things in the universe. After all, you knew by that knowledge of yours that my father has become a deer in the forest. Use that knowledge now and find your own shoes.” The Buddhist monks, who took refuge in the Buddha, were furious at her words, and told Buddhadāsa everything that had happened. “Your vicious daughter-in-law invited us and then cooked our shoes and fed us our own shoes to eat.” When he heard that, Buddhadāsa’s eyes blazed in anger. He gave the king plenty of money, which the king did not hesitate to take. The angry king then banished Padmaérī and Buddhasamgha from his city.