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Studies in Jainology, Prakrit
AHIMSA AS REFLECTED IN
THE MULĀRADHANA
Religion has played a dominant role along the course of the history of mankind; and in almost all known religions of the world, ahimsa has been given a place with varied limitations. In India in 600 B.C., Jainism and Biddhism stood up in protest to the Vedic religion mainly on the principle of ahimsa that severely sufferred in rites like yajña etc. In Buddhism the theory and practice of ahimsa had their own limited scope. But in Jainism ahimsa was made to hold the pivotal position in its entire ethical and metaphysical system. To repeat the words of Dr. Bool Chand : "The way in which the doctrine of ahimsa is made to pervade the whole code of conduct is peculialry Jain".
Jain Education International
Now it is essential to remember that the Jaina theory and practice of ahimsa are older than the Vedic religion. According to tradition the gospel of ahimsa was first preached by Rṣabhadeva. But in c. 1500 B.C. Aristanemi2, the 22nd Tirthankara, a cousin of Krsna, at the sight of the cattle tied together for his own wedding feast exemplified the practice of ahimsa by renouncing the world instantly. Then Parsvanatha, the 23rd Tirthankara (c. 800 B.C.), systematized the Jaina Philosophy by placing before the world his Caujjamadhamma where ahimsā had its first place, which later, was also maintained in Mahavira's elucidated system of the
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