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INTRODOCTION:
old Buddhistic work and applied to Lord Buddha by Budshist scholar.t. The same, idea again bas been borrowed by Siddhasena? and Samanta-Bhadra® from the Parañas and has been applied to Tirtharkara in a manner in which it perfectly fits in witb the Jaina tradițion, By borrowing this idea and applying it to the present subject, it is attempted to suggest that the trinity of Brahmā, Vişņu and Mahesa, as found in the Puráņas, is nothing but Lord Mabā vīra himself, and no-body else. Once this method came in vogue, it was applied not only to other Vedic Gods ench as Indra. Sürya and others but to the great pbilosopber and sage Kapila, the founder of Sārkhya philosophy as well as to Lord Buddha, the reputed founder of Buddhism ; and. in course of time, words used with reference to these Gods and others came to be interpreted in the sense of Lord Mahāvîra. It was suggested thereby that the persons or Gods, referred to above, would be realized in the figure of Lord Mabā vîra8. The same method is found adopted in the Bhaktāmara- Stotra as well as in the Kalyāņa-Mandira-Stotra.
: The profound influence of the study of Upanişads and Gîta is not only found in these five eulogistic
used as synonyms of Buddha. Really these two words belong to Vedic tradition.
1. See Dwa. 1:1; 2.1 ; 3.1. 2 Sway. 1. 3 Compare Dwa. 1.1; 2. 1, 19 and Swa, 3, 5.
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