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Jainism
Dr. Jarl Charpentier, Pb.D. says, “We ought also to remember both that the Jaina religion is certainly older than Mahāvira his reputed predecessor Pārśva having almost certainly, existed as a real person, and that consequently the main points i f the original doctrine may have been codified long before Mahāvira".
Dr. R. C. Majumdar--"The first 22 of them are, however, unknown to history and reasonable doubts may be entertained regarding the existence of most of them. But the 23rd Tirthankara Pārsva seems to have had a Teal existence. His death may be placed in the 8th century B. C.92
Harmsworth -"They, the Jainas believe in a great number of prophets of their faith anterior of Nātaputta (Mahāvīra Vardhamāna) and pay special reverence to the last of these, Pārśva or Pārsvanātha. Herein they are correct, in so far as the latter personality is more than mythical. He was indeed the royal founder of Jainism (776 B.C.) while his successor Mabāvíra was younger by many generations and can be considered only as a reformer. As early as the time of Gotama, the religious confra. ternity founded by Pārsva, and known as the Nirgrantha, was a formally established sect, and according to the Buddhist chronicles, threw numerous difficulties in the way of the rising Buddhism”.3
Prof. Ram Prasad Chanda, the famous archaeologist says, “The Pali Suttas confirm good deal of what is
1. Uttarādby ayana Sūtra -Upsala ed. Introd. p. 21. 2. Outline of Ancient Indian History and Civilization,
p. 216 and An Advanced History of India, p. 86. .3. History of the World, vul. II, p. 1198.
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