Antiquity
of Jainism
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 Encyclopaedia 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
Nigganthas/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:
Sramanas
Brahamanas
They were called Sramanas
(Monks) because they were believed in the equality of all beings
and practiced non-violence 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. Any One does
not found it. 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.
Walther 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, “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 Kharavelaat 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 munisor disciples
established by Rishabha is also called Gana and its leader,
the chief disciple, is called Gandharva. The tradition of
Gana and Gandharvais 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:
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.
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.
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.
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
furnishes 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 Mahavira. (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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