Antiquity
of Jainism
Professor Mahavir
Saran Jain
Lord MAHAVIRA is not the founder
of Jainism. Since Gautama Buddha, founder of Buddhism,
belonged to the same region of Magadha as MAHAVIRA- the
24th Tirthankar of Jainism ,and because both
were contemporaries, it was assumed erroneously that Jainism
was contemporary of Buddhism or was an off shoot of Buddhism.
It is now accepted that Jainism is not only older than
Buddhism but it has got its roots going deep into the
antiquity in pre-Aryan and pre-Vedic times.
Herman Jacobi, states in his article on Jainism in
Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics (Vol. II, pp. 465-74)
:
“Notwithstanding the
radical difference in their philosophical notions, Jainism and
Buddhism being outside the place of Brahmanism, present
resemblances in outward appearance, so that even Indian writers
occasionally have confounded them. It is therefore not to be wondered
that some European scholars who became acquainted with Jainism
through inadequate samples of Jain literature easily persuaded
themselves that it was an outcome of Buddhism. But it has since been
proved that their theory is wrong.”
According
to Jain beliefs, the universe
was never created, nor will it ever cease to exist. Time is divided
into Utsarpinis (Progressive Time Cycle) and Avsarpinis (Regressive
Time Cycle). An Utsarpinis and an Avsarpinis constitute one Time
Cycle (Kalchakra). Every Utsarpinis and Avsarpinis is divided into
six unequal periods known as Eras. During the Utsarpinis half cycle,
humanity develops from its worst to its best. During the Avsarpinis
half-cycle, these notions deteriorate from the best to the worst.
Jains believe we are currently in the fifth Era of the Avsarpinis
phase, with approximately 19,000 years until the next Era. After this
Avsarpinis phase, the Utsarpinis phase will begin, continuing the
infinite repetition of the Kalchakra.
Lord
Rishabha
(ऋषभ)
is regarded as the first and Lord Vardhamana (Mahavira,
महावीर)
is regarded the last Tirthankar
to attain enlightenment (599-527 BCE) of the present six-cycle period
of Jain chronology. Before Mahavira, Jain tradition was known by
many names such as
Sraman
Nirgganthas/nirgranthas
Arhat
Vatarshana
Muni
Vratya
1.The Sraman Tradition
Dr. Ramdhari Singh
Dinkar has discussed the
opinion of Sanskrit Grammarian Panini
about the perpetual
struggles between two different cultures/ traditions: ( 1) Sramanas (
2 ) Brahamanas
They were called Sramanas
(Monks) because they were believed in the equality of all beings and
practiced nonviolence etc.
In
his Indus Civilization and Hindu Culture, the eminent
scholar, P. R. Deshmukh says:”The first Jain Tirthankar
belonged to Indus civilization. The Indus Valley
deities were nude. The Jains sustained that culture and
worshipped nude Tirthankaras”.
H.T.
Colebrook has traced the non-Aryan origins of Jain culture
and He observes in his Observation on the Sect of Jains
that the Greek Authors of the third Century B.C. divided all
philosophers into two groups Shramanas and Brahmans
so greatly differentiated that they considered them as belonging to
different races. From this Dr.Guseva concludes: “Only
one interpretation can be given to this, and that is, in those times
followers of Jainism were, in the main, representatives of
pre-Aryan population of the country. This means that there is
basis to assert that the chief components of this non Vedic religion
were engendered by non Aryan ethnical environment.”
Ex.
Director-General of the Archaeological Survey of India,
M. N. Deshpande states,
“This extract helps in
satisfactorily understanding the distinctive nature and origin of
Jain asceticism which was distinct from Brahmanic
asceticism. This path of the Shramanas inculcates
complete nivratti (turning away completely from worldly
life) and pravrajya (renunciation), enjoining total
anagaratva (the state of homelessness) together with
the vow of non-killing, truthfulness, non-stealing and celibacy. The
concept of “Trigupti or the total abstinence by
mind (manas), body (kaya) and speech
(vacha), further tends to sharpen the ascetic ideal to
a point that casting one’s body by prolonged fast (sallekhana)
is recommended in no other religious order. Among other distinctive
practices of the Jain faith mention may be made of alochana
or confession of sin’s and the daily ceremony of pratikramana
or expiation of sins” The Background and Tradition ,
Ch-2 in The Jain Art and Architecture , Bharatiya
Jnanapitha, Vol. I, 1974)
2.The
Nigganthas tradition
they
were called Nigganthas/Nirgranthas because they were detached and
free from passions
Bhikshu
Dharmananda Kosambi has said; “In Tripitakas,
there is a mention in several places about Nigganthas-
Jains. From this it is clear that the Nigganthas
tradition was in existence many years before Buddha. It is
mentioned in the Anguttara Nikaya that one “Bappa”
named Shakya (belonging to the clan of Shakyas
in which Buddha was born) was a lay follower (Sravaka)
of the Nigganthas (Jain). In the same Sutta’s
Atthahatha it is also said that this “Bappa”
was an uncle of Buddha.
It
may be mentioned here that Nigganthas means unattached,
without possessions, an ancient name for the Jain community.
Buddhist
texts refer to the existence of large numbers of Nigganthas
(unattached ones) who followed the Samvara.
Prof.
Jacobi notes;
“The Nigganthas
are frequently mentioned by the Buddhists, even in the oldest
part of the Pitakas. But I have not yet met with a
distinct mention of the Buddha in any of the old Jain
Sutras. As it is inconsistent with our assumption of a
contemporaneous origin of both creeds, we are driven to the
conclusion that the Nigganthas were not a newly founded
sect of Buddha’s time. This seems to have been the
opinion of the Pitakas too, for we find no indication
to the contrary in them.” (“On Mahavira and
His Predecessors” in the Indian Antiquary, IX,
1880 158-163)
3.The
Arhatas
they
were called Arhatas /Arhantas (worthy of Worship) because they were
lived virtuous life. several authors contend that during the time
when Vedas were taking shape, a number of elements which had
subsequently entered in Jain religion were already known. This
is confirmed by the fact that monks are called arahans
or arahatas in Rigveda and Atharva Veda.
4.The
Vatarshana Munis
Rishabhadeva
has been described as the incarnation of Vishnu for the
establishment of the religion of Vatarashana Munis.”
“These Munis appeared pisanga
(Pingalavarna) because they were indifferent to
bathing, even though they were Maladhari that is
unclean, due to sweat etc. They used to remain silent and looked wild
owing to their meditative practices. By controlling breathing (by
means of pranayama) they used to attain to godhood. The
mortal world could only see their external bodies, not their inner
soul”:
मुनयो
वातरशना पिशंगा
वसते मला:
वातस्यानु
थ्रांजिं यंति
यद्दैत्रासो
अविक्षत्:
उन्मतिदा
मौनयेन वातां
जा तास्थैमा
वयम्
शरीरे
दस्माकं युयं
मतांसो अभि
पश्यथ (ऋग्वेद,१०,
१३६,
२)
Dr.
Hiralal Jain has explained “They are Munis
and their ways of renunciation, silence and non- attachment
distinguish them from the Rishi tradition. But a new
word Vatarashana is connected with them. Vata
means air and vashana means girdle or waistband.
Therefore the meaning is air-cloth or one whose clothing is air, that
is, naked. This is not a new term for the Jain tradition, and
it occurs in Jina sahasranama – Thousand names
for Jina- Thus:-
“According to this
Vatarashana, Digvasa, Nigganthas
and Digambara, all these are synonymous terms and
indicate a naked or nude state, So it can be concluded that at the
time of the Rigveda composition such munis
were in existence who used to go about naked and who were revered
as gods in the Rishi tradition and were eulogized and
worshipped.
5.The
VRATYA TRADITION
In
Atharva Veda 15th chapter there is a
description of Vratyas who are said to be unversed in
Vedic tradition and ritual and belonging to Licchavi,
Natha and Malla clans.
Dr.
Guseva, the Russian scholar in her ethnological monograph Jainism
states
“
Ancient Indian literature
contains indications of the deep antiquity of the sources of Jainism
and it also indicates that the Ksatriyas and ascetics
from Vratyas i.e. non-Aryans played noticeable
role in establishing non-Vedic teachings.
The
word JAINISM is derived from JIN which means conqueror-One who has
conquered his passion and desires, love and hate, pleasure and pain,
attachment and aversion, and has thereby freed `his' soul from the
karmas obscuring knowledge, perception, truth, and ability.In this
respect Jain Dharma/ Jainism is self-originated.It is not founded by
any One. The tradition of Jain religion is propounded by such
conquerors/ Tirthankaras. According to Jain philosophy, all
Tirthankaras / Arihants / Siddhas/ Jinas were born as
human beings but they attained a state of perfection or
enlightenment through meditation and self- realization or
atmadarshan.
There
is no doubt that Jainism prevailed before Bhagwaan Mahavira.
Dr.
Hermann Jacobi believes that "Jainism goes back to a very early
period, and to primitive currents of religious and metaphysical
speculation, which gave rise to the oldest Indian philosophies.
Critical and comparative study has brought to light several words
like ‘Asrava’, `Samvara’ etc., which have been used
by Jains in the original sense but which have been mentioned in
Buddhist Literature in figurative sense. On the basis of these words,
Dr. Jacobi has concluded that Jainism is much older than the
religion of Buddha and therefore it is incorrect to imagine Jainism
as the offshoot of Buddhism.
Dr.
A. N. Upadhye remarked –
“The
origins of Jainism go back to the pre-historic times. They are to be
sought in the fertile valley of Ganga, where they flourished in the
past, even before the advent of Aryans with their priestly religion,
a society of recluses who laid much stress on individual exertion, on
practice of a code of morality and devotion to austerities, as means
of attaining religious Summum Bonum.”
German
Indologist Heinrich Zimmer agreed that there is truth in the Jain
idea that their religion goes back to a remote antiquity, the
antiquity in question being that of the pre-Aryan, so called
Dravidian period, and that Jainism is the oldest of all Dravidian
born philosophies and religions.
Noel
Retting, another Indologist, writes, "Only in Jainism, of all
the living religions, do we see a fusion of the primitive with the
profound. It has preserved elements from the first stage of man's
religious awareness, animism. It affirms the separateness of spirit
from matter, even though our modern philosophers and religionists
regard neither form of dualism as untenable. Despite the opinion of
these men, Jainism is fundamentally scientific. And, it may very well
be, contrary to the opinions of many anthropologists and students of
comparative religion, the oldest living faith."
Professor
L. P. Tessitory is of opinion that "Jainism is of a very high
order. Its important teachings are based upon science. The more the
scientific knowledge advances the more the Jain teachings will be
proven".
In
fact, the Jain system of thought is so wonderfully consistent with
modern realism and science. Dr. Walthur Schubring observes, "He
who has a thorough knowledge of the structure of the world cannot but
admire the inward logic and harmony of Jain ideas. Hand in hand with
the refined cosmographical ideas goes a high standard of astronomy
and mathematics."
The
Pre-Aryan aspects of the Jain tradition can be traced
to Indus Valley civilization which flourished six to eight
thousand years ago. Nude standing images found in the Indus
Valley ruins bear a striking resemblance to the oldest Jain
sculpture. There may be a link in the bull seals of Indus and
the bull lancchana of Rishabhanatha. It is significant as
various scholars have suggested that the nude standing images in the
Indus Valley in a typical Jain ascetic Yogic
pose Kayotsarga bear a striking resemblance to the
oldest Jaina sculptures, and further that there is a link
between the Indus bull-seals and the bull insignia
(lancchana) of Rishabha. . In the Adi
Purana Book XV III, Kayotsarga posture is
described in connection with the penance of Rishabha or
Vrashabha,”
In
his Indus Civilization and Hindu Culture, the eminent
scholar, P. R. Deshmukh says:”The first Jain Tirthankar
belonged to Indus civilization. The Indus Valley
deities were nude. The Jains sustained that culture and
worshipped nude Tirthankaras”.
The
opinion of Dr.Guseva is notable: “ --- in those times
followers of Jainism were, in the main, representatives of
pre-Aryan population of the country. This means that there is
basis to assert that the chief components of this non Vedic religion
were engendered by non Aryan ethnical environment.”
Dr.
S. Radhakrishnan affirms that “The Bhagavata Purana
endorses the view that Rishabha was the founder of Jainism.
There is evidence to show that so far back as the first century B.C.
there were people who were worshipping Rishabhadeva, the first
Tirthankar. There is no doubt that Jainism prevailed
even before Vardhamana Mahavira, or Parsvanatha.
The Yajurveda mentions the names of three Tirthankaras,
Rishabha, Ajitnath and Aristanemi” (Indian
Philosophy, P.287)
Historicity
of First Tirthankar
The
idea of Rishabha Tirthankar being an epoch-making man is
deep-rooted in the Jaina scriptures. He was the son of the fourteenth
Kulakara or Manu known as Nabhi. He is also known as Adinath.
Rishabha inaugurated the karmabhumi and pioneered human
civilisation and culture.
Rishabha
was the first preacher of the ahimsa dharma, the first
Tirthankar or ford-maker to the path of liberation
according to Jain Sramanic path of purification and
liberation. He attained nirvana on the summit of Mount Kailasa
in Tibet.
P.
C. Roy Choudhury states in his Jainism in Bihar;”Not
much research is possible in the pre-historical age as to the role
Bihar played in the story of Jainism. But some of the ancient
Jain scriptures mention that Jainism had been preached
in Magadha (Bihar) by Lord Rishabha at the end of Stone
Age and the beginning of the agricultural age. At the remote period
Magadha was separated from the rest of India by Ganga-sagar.
The ancient history of Nepal bears this out”. (P.7)
The
point to be noted is that there is a consistent tradition found in
the Jaina religious literature and also in the Itihasa-Purana
Brahmanic lore from earliest time of invoking Rishabhadeva as Rudra
or Shiva.
It
is in this context it is important to consider the definite opinion
of Sir Marshall that the Vedic Aryans adopted Shiva worship (Shiva,
Pashupati, Rudra) from Indus valley civilisation. It is
significantly suggested by the various scholars that the nude
standing images in the Indus Valley in a typically Jain Sramanic
yogic pose-Kayotsarga- abandonment of the body in
meditation- bears a striking resemblance to the oldest Jain sculpture
and further that there is a link between the Indus bull seals and the
bull insignia (lancchana) of Rishabha.
From
Vedic times the alternative names or designations for Rishabha dev
have been: Digambara, Digvasa, Tapomaya, Charukesha, Shanta,
Akshobhya, Ahimsa, Jnani, Kapardi, and Jati. These are such
attributes as become perfectly applicable in their meaning to
Rishabha Tirthankar. The characteristic mark of
Shankar as found in Jaina creations and images known as Triratna
which is found clearly marked in the cave of Sarata Kharavela
at Udaigiri in Orissa. It is found marked in the ancient images
of Rishabha and other Tirthankaras.
The
arch-form of this symbol is found in the sign of tri-horn on the
Indus Valley seal images. It should not be surprising if the same
mark evolved later as a phase of moon, Om, swastika
and the cross of Christianity as well as the mood and the star of
Islam as noted by Dr.Hiralal Jain.
The
disciples of Shiva are collectively called Gana,
whose leader is called Ganapati and Ganesh. The group of munis
or disciples established by Rishabha is also called Gana
and its leader, the chief disciple, is called Gandharva.
The tradition of Gana and Gandharva is
found unbroken till the last Tirthankar, Mahavira. Such
parallels and spiritual affinities since pre-historic times between
Rishabha and Shiva show unmistakably that Jainism and its first
profounder have been the precursor of the later Shiva
doctrine.
The
most notable example of the fusion and synthesis of not only the
Jaina, Shiva, but also the Brahmanic, Vedic, Buddhist and other
Indian philosophies are found in the great Himalayan centre of
pilgrimage, Badrinatha or Badri Vishala.
In the Badri Vishala temple the following
stotra is recited in the daily worship:
यं
शैवा समुपासते
शिव इति ब्रम्हेति
वेदांतिन्:
बौध्दा
बुध्द इति
प्रमाणपटव:कर्त्रैति
नैयायिका
अर्ह्न्नित्यथ
जैनशासनरता:
कर्मेति
मीमांसका:
सो&यं
वो विदधातु
वांछितफलम
त्रैलोक्यनाथो
प्रभु:
(हनुमन्नाटक)
Meaning:
“One who is revered as Shiva by the Shaivas, as
Brahma by the Vedantins,as Buddha by the
Buddhists, as the Cause by the Naiyayikas, Arahan
by the Jains, Karma by the Mimamsakas, such god of the
three worlds may grant us our longed for fruits.” This
illustrates how the Badrinatha embodies the true secular synthesis of
India.
INDIA
KNOWN AS BHARATVARSHA AFTER BHARATA SON OF RISHABHA:
Dr.
Hiralal Jain has stated:
“But they have ignored
other mentions in the same Purana and elsewhere about Rishabha
son Bharata….For this opinion the necessary
testimonials have not been adduced. Probably these cannot be anything
else than the slokas quoted above. But the fact that in
the same Purana it is clearly mentioned elsewhere that
the name Bharatvarsha was given by Rishabha son
Bharat, and that the word “ Desha”
or “ Varsha” does not occur with
Dushyanta’s son Bharata, does not appear to have
been considered carefully by these scholars before asserting their
opinion”
In
the Purana it is clearly mentioned:
ऋषभो
मरुदेव्याश्च
ऋषभात भरतो
भवेत्
भरताद
भारतं वर्षं,
भरतात
सुमतिस्त्वभूत्
That
is “Rishabha was born to Marudevi, Bharat was born to Rishabha,
Bharatvarsha (India) arose from Bharat, and Sumati arose from
Bharat.”
Historicity
of twenty-second Tirthankar
Besides
Rishabhadeva, Neminatha has also been mentioned as the
Tirthankar of the Jains. He is said to be the twenty-second
Tirthankar.
Neminatha
is connected with the legend of Sri Krishna as his relative.
According to the TrilokpuruS charit, he was a cousin of Lord Krishna
who negotiated his marriage with Rajamati, daughter of Ugrasena, but
Neminatha, taking compassion on the animals which were to be
slaughtered in connection with the marriage feast, left the marriage
procession suddenly and renounced the world. He then left Dwarika and
proceeded to a garden called Sahasramarvana on the mount Raivataka,
where he practiced asceticism and attained salvation. According to
the Kalpasutra, he lived up to the age of 1,000 years.
The
Chandogya UpaniSad refers to Krishna, son of Devaki, as a
disciple of Ghora Angirasa who instructed him about Tapas
(austerity), Dana (charity), Aarjava (simplicity or
piety), Ahimsa (non-injury) and Satyavachana (truthfulness) – virtues
which are extolled by Krishna in the Gita. According to Jain
tradition Bhagwaan Krishna was contemporary of Tirthankar
Neminatha who preceded Parsvanatha.
Historicity of twenty-third
Tirthankar (Parsvanatha as an Historic Figure )
H. Jacobi
and others have proved on the authority of both the Jaina and the
Buddhist records that Parsvanatha
was an historical personage. (Sbe,
XLV, pp. xx-xxiii.) Their arguments are as follows:–
1. In the
Buddhist scriptures, there is a reference to the four vows
(Chaturyama Dharma) of Parsvanatha.
The Buddhists could not have used the term Chaturyama Dharma for the
Nigganthas unless they had heard it from the followers of
Parsvanatha. This proves the
correctness of the Jaina tradition that the followers of
Parsvanatha, in fact, existed at the time
of Mahavira.
2. The
Nigganthas were an important sect at the time of the rise of
Buddhism, as may be inferred from the fact that they are frequently
mentioned in the PiTakas as opponents of Buddha and his
disciples. This is further supported by another fact. Mankhali
GoSala, a contemporary of Buddha and Mahavira, divided mankind into
six classes, and of these, the third class contained the Nigganthas.
GoSala, probably, would not have ranked them as a separate class of
mankind if they had recently come into existence. He must have
regarded them as members of a very important and at the same time an
old sect.
3. The Majjhima Nikaya records a
dispute between Buddha and Sakdal, the son of a Nirgrantha. Sakdal
was not himself a Nirgrantha. Now, when a famous controversialist,
whose father was a Nirgrantha, was a contemporary of Buddha, the
Nirgrantha sect could scarcely have been founded during Buddha's
life-time.
4. The
existence of Parsva's Order in
Mahavira time is proved by the reported disputes between the
followers of Parsvanatha and
those of Mahavira. The followers of Parsvanatha,
who did not fully recognize Mahavira as their spiritual guide,
existed during Mahavira life-time. A sort of compromise has been
affected between the two sections of the Jaina Sangha.
These
arguments clearly show that Parsvanatha
was a real historical figure. Very few facts of his life are,
however, known. The Kalpasutra informs us that Parshva
was the son of king Ashvasena of Varanasi (Banaras) and queen Vama.
Many
legends have gathered round Parshva.
Throughout his life, he was connected with ‘snakes’
in one way or the other. In his childhood, for instance, while he lay
by the side of his mother, a serpent was seen crawling about. When he
grew up, he saved a serpent from the grave danger it was in. He also
saved a poor terrified snake which had taken shelter in a log of wood
to which a Brahmanic ascetic had set fire. After its death, the snake
became God Dharanendra who spread a serpent's hood over
Parshva.
According
to Svetambaras, Parshva was married to Prabhavati, the daughter of
Prasenajit the king of Kaushala. But according to Digambaras, Parshva
was unmarried. He lived for thirty years in great splendor and
happiness as a householder, and then, forsaking all his wealth,
became an ascetic. After 84 days of intense meditation, he attained
the perfect knowledge of a Tirthankar, and from that time, he lived
for about seventy years in the state of most exalted perfection and
sainthood. At last, he attained NirvaaNa22
(liberation) in 777 B.C. on the summit of Mount Sammed shikhara,
now named Parsvanatha hill after him.
A man of
practical nature, Parsvanatha was
remarkable for his organizing capacity. He organized the Sangha
(Organization) efficiently for the propagation of Jainism. He is said
to have visited many cities for the dissemination of Jainism.
The Jaina
Sutras and the early Buddhist texts enlighten us about the
doctrines and followers of Parsvanatha.
The religious order founded by him was reputed for a high and rigid
standard of conduct. He made four moral precepts binding upon his
followers, precepts which were later enforced by Mahavira and Buddha
upon their followers. His rules were not confined only to these four
precepts but they embraced many other rules laid down for the
practical guidance of the fraternity and laity.
The
Uttaradhyayana Sutra fürnishes a dialogue which sheds
abundant light on this obscure point. The interlocutors are the two
leading representatives of the Nigganthas Order of the time. Kasha, a
follower of Parsvanatha rule,
asks Gautama, who was one of the chief disciples of Mahavira: "When
the four precepts promulgated by the great sage Parsvanatha,
are equally binding upon the two orders, what is the cause of
difference between us?" "Wisdom" replies Gautama,
"recognizes the truth of the law and the ascertainment of true
things. The earlier saints were simple but slow of understanding, the
last saints, prevaricating and slow of understanding, those between
the two, simple and wise; hence there are two forms of the Law.
About the
teachings of Parsvanatha, it must
be admitted, we have no exact knowledge. His religion was, however,
meant for one and all without any distinction of caste or creed. He
allowed women to enter his Order. He laid stress on the doctrine of
Ahimsa. According to him, strict asceticism was the only way to
attain salvation. Fundamentally, the doctrines of Parsvanatha
and Mahavira were the same. Parsvanatha preached
four vows instead of five. According to H. Jacobi,
the Order of Parsvanatha seems to
have undergone some changes in the period between the Nirvana of
Parsvanatha and the advent of Mahavira.
Parsvanatha
enjoined on his followers four great vows: (1) Abstinence from
killing living beings; (2) Avoidance of falsehood; (3) Avoidance of
theft, and (4) Freedom from possessions. H. Jacobi has clearly
perceived that a doctrine attributed to Mahavira in the Buddhist
Literature, properly belonged to his predecessor, Parsvanatha,
insofar as the expression Chaturyama Samvara is concerned.
(Sbe, XLV, pp. xix-xxii.) The doctrine is that, according to
Mahavira, the way to self-possession, self-command, and
imperturbability consists of 'a four-fold self-restraint', such as
restraint in regard to all things, restraint in regard to all evil,
and restraints imposed for the purification of sin and feeling a
sense of ease on that account.
(Die,
II, pp. 74-75.)
Parsvanatha
had a large number of followers around Magadha even in the days of
Mahavira. Mahavira parents, who belonged to the Kshatriyas, were
worshippers of Parsvanatha (Aachaaraang,
II, 15-16.) Following the teachings of Parsvanatha,
they peacefully died practicing slow starvation Sallekhana. The
Uttaradhyayana Sutra relates a meeting between Keshi and
Gautama as representatives of the two Jaina Orders, the old and the
new. (Uttaradhyayan, 23, pp. 119-129.) The Bhagavati Sutra
refers to a dispute between a follower of Parsvanatha
and a disciple of Mahävïra.( Bhag, I, 76.) The
Bhagavati Sutra refers to Gangeya, a follower of Parsvanatha
(Bhag, IX. 32 ). A follower of Parsvanatha
named Udaka met Gautama, the first GaNdhara of Mahavira. Gautama was
successful in winning over Udaka to his side. (Sutra, II 7. ) From
the dialogue between Udaka and Gautama, it appears that the followers
of Parsvanatha and the disciples
of Mahavira were respectively known as the Nirgrantha Kumaraputtas
and the Nirgrantha Nathaputtas.
Mahavira was
an elder contemporary of Buddha? As a matter of a fact,
Buddhist literature and history establish that after he had
renounced the world Buddha was for some time an ascetic
following the Jain cult of Parsvanatha, the 23rd
Tirthankar whose death took place 250 Years before Mahavira.
About
2600 years ago Lord Mahavira or Vardhamana (599 to 527 BC), the
twenty fourth and the last Tirthankar of this era revived the Jain
philosophy previously preached by his predecessor Lord Parshva (950
to 850 BC) in India. He expanded the code of conducts and implemented
daily rites for his followers. He felt that such changes are
essential for proper religious practice. The present Jain scriptures
reflect only his teachings. Thus Mahavira was more of a reformer and
propagator of an existing religious order than the founder of a new
faith. He followed the well-established creed of his predecessor
Tirthankaras.
Jainism
does not believe in any divinity as the creator of this universe
because according to Jain cosmology and metaphysics the world
is beginning less and endless, and each human being, by the dint of
his own ethical discipline as laid down in Jainism, that is,
Ratnatraya Dharma-Sam yak Darshana, Samyag
Jnana, Sam yak Charitra –Right perception,
Right knowledge and Right conduct- can attain liberation
without the intervention of any deity.
Thus,
one may sum up, the antiquity of Jainism in the words of
Hermann Jacobi; “In conclusion let me assert my conviction that
Jainism is an original system, quite distinct, and independent from
all others.
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