Samprati Explained

Samprati was the fifth emperor of the Maurya Empire. He was the grandson of the third Mauryan emperor, Ashoka, and the son of Kunala. He succeeded his cousin, Dasharatha Maurya. According to Jain tradition, he built 150,000 Jain derasars and made 15 million Jain idols. He is also believed to have taken an oath to dig the foundation of a new Jinalaya every day, and would not take his navakrashi (breakfast) until it was completed.^[2]

Claim to throne

Samprati was the grandson of emperor Ashoka and son of Kunala. Kunala was born to Ashoka's third wife, Padmavati (who was Jain), but was blinded in a conspiracy to remove his claim to the throne. Thus, Kunala was replaced by Dasharatha as the heir to the throne and lived in Ujjain with his "Dhai Maa" (wet nurse).^[3] Samprati was raised there. Years after being denied the throne, Kunala and Samprati approached Ashoka's court in an attempt to claim the throne. Ashoka could not grant his blind son's request but promised Samprati would be heir apparent to Dasharatha. After Dasharatha's death, Samprati ascended to the throne of the Maurya Empire.

Reign

The Jaina text mentions Samprati ruled both from Pataliputra and Ujjain.^[4] According to a Jain text, the provinces of Saurashtra, Maharashtra, Andhra and Mysore broke away from the empire shortly after Ashoka's death (i.e., during Dasharatha's reign), but were reconquered by Samprati, who later deployed soldiers disguised as Jain monks.^[5]

Samprati and Jainism

Samprati is regarded for his patronage and efforts to spread Jainism in east India. While in one source, he is described as nominally a Jain from birth (Sthaviravali 9.53), most accounts emphasize his conversion at the hands of the Jain monk Suhastisuri, the eighth leader of the congregation established by Mahavira. After his conversion he was credited with actively spreading Jainism to many parts of India and beyond, both by making it possible for monks to travel to barbarian lands and by building and renovating thousands of temples and establishing millions of idols. He was a disciple of Suhastisuri.

Kalpa-sutra-bhashya mentions Samprati making regions of Andhra, Dravida, Maharashtra and Coorg safe for Jain monks. He sent Jain missionaries to other countries for propagation of Jainism^{[6] [7]} and southern part of India.^[8] He is popularly known as the "Jain Ashoka".^[9]

In literature

Around 1100 CE Devachandrasuri of the Purnatalla Gaccha told the story of Samprati in his commentary on the Textbook on Fundamental Purity (Mulashuddhi Prakarana), in a chapter on the virtues of building temples. A century later, Amradevasuri of the Brihad Gaccha included the story of Samprati in his commentary to the Treasury of Stories (Akhyana Manikosha). In 1204, Malayaprabhasuri, a disciple of Manatungasuri of the Purnima Gaccha, wrote an extensive Prakrit commentary on his teacher's Deeds of Jayanti (Jayanti Carita), in which he included the story of Samprati as an example of the virtue of compassion (Caudhari 1973: 201-2). There are also some anonymous and undated medieval texts devoted solely to the story of Samprati, such as the 461-verse Sanskrit Deeds of King Samprati (Samprati Nripa Charitra).

See also

• Bindusara
• Kharvela

Notes

Sources

Notes and References

1. Book: The early history of India : from 600 B.C. to the Muhammadan conquest, including the invasion of Alexander the Great. Smith. Vincent Arthur. Edwardes. S. M. (Stephen Meredyth). Samprati, a grandson of Asoka, is said to have been converted by Suhastin, and to have sent many missionaries to preach Jainism in the Peninsula, where his creed undoubtedly secured such wide acceptance that Mr. Rice is justified in affirming that during the first millennium of the Christian era Jainism may be regarded as having been predominant religion of Mysore.. 458. Oxford : Clarendon Press. Robarts - University of Toronto. 1924 .
2. Book: Finegan, Jack. An archaeological history of religions of Indian Asia. 1989. New York : Paragon House. 115. Internet Archive. 978-0-913729-43-4.
3. http://www.english2hindidictionary.com/%E0%A4%A6%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%88%20%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%81-meaning-in-english
4. Thapar, Romila (2001). and the Decline of the Maurya, New Delhi: Oxford University Press,, p.187
5. Book: Moti Chandra. Trade and Trade Routes in Ancient India. 1977. Abhinav Publications. 978-81-7017-055-6. 75–.
6. Book: Asiatic Society (Calcutta, India). Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal.. Calcutta : Asiatic Society. Missouri Botanical Garden. 1832 .
7. Book: Finegan, Jack. Samprati had missionaries sent out, doubtless of the Svetambara persuasion, as far as to south India: “In order to extend the sphere of their activities to uncivilized countries, Samprati sent there messengers disguised as Jaina monks. They described to the people the kind of food and other requisites which monks may accept as alms, enjoining them to give such things instead of the usual tax to the revenue collector who would visit them from time to time. Of course these revenue collectors were to be Jaina monks. Having thus prepared the way for them, he induced the superior to send monks to those countries, for they would find it in no way impossible to live there. Accordingly missionaries were sent to the Andhras and Dramilas, who found everything as the king had told. Thus the uncivilized nations were brought under the influence of Jainism.. The Archeology of World Religions. 1952. 219. Internet Archive.
8. Book: Sharma, S. r. The new doctrine, however, gained royal support from Anoka's grandson Samprati, under whom, as we saw, the first Svetambara mission was sent to the South. Thus, from very early times, both these schools of Jaina thought found representation in the South; but by far the most overwhelming epigraphic and archaeological evidence in the South is of the Digambara sect .. Jainism And Karnataka Culture. 1940. 130.
9. Book: The early history of India : from 600 B.C. to the Muhammadan conquest, including the invasion of Alexander the Great. Smith. Vincent Arthur. Edwardes. Stephen Edwardes. Literary tradition of Western India, which also recognises Samprati as the immediate successor of Asoka, eulogizes him as an eminent patron of Jainism, who founded Jain monasteries even in non-aryan countries. Almost all ancient Jain temples or monuments of unknown origin are ascribed by the popular voice to Samprati, who is in fact, regarded as a Jain Asoka.. S. M. (Stephen Meredyth). 202. Oxford : Clarendon Press. Robarts - University of Toronto. 1924 .