Introduction to Jainism and its Culture

SR No.: 001605
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Balbhadra Jain
Publisher: Kundkund Gyanpith Indore
Publication Year: 2002
Total Pages: 334
Language: English
Classification: Book_English, Religion, & Culture
File Size: 21 MB

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In the Jain literature Bhagavāna Rşabhadeva is accepted as the first Tirthankara of this half cycle of time. The religion he reestablished was called Arhat Dharma or Jain Dharina. Jains called him Rşabhadeva, Adinātha, Jina, Arhanta, Tirthankara, etc. The pre-Aryan Indians called himn Śiva, Rūdra, Hiranyagarbha, and Brahmā. The Vedic Aryas worshiped him as Agni, Vrātya, Sūrya, Mitra, etc. In the Puranic period he was accepted as the eighth incarnation of Vişnu. He became Ahuramzda of the Zoroastrians, and God of the Christians. The ancient Egyptians called him Ausarit. In Arabian language he became Allaha and Adam and in Persian he was called Khuda.
The appearance, signs or emblems, and life-incidents of Siva and Rşabhadeva are very similar. As such it would not be surprising if they are found to be one person. Brahmā and Rşabhadeva also appear to be the same individual. Starting six months before Rşabhadeva descended into the womb (garbha) of his mother and till his birth, on Indra's command, Kuber, the god of wealth, showered gold (hiraṇya) in the courtyard of Nābhirāya. Therefore, Rşabhadeva was called Hiranyagarbha. As he had propagated six professions and other social systems he was called Prajāpati. When he gave his sermon in the Samavasaraṇa he appeared facing all the four direction, so he was called Caturmukha (four-faced one). Brahmā was also called Hiranyagarbha, Prajāpati, and Caturmukha. Rşabhadeva's daughter was Brāhmi and Brahmā's daughter was Saraswati; both have the same meaning. Marici wasRşabhadeva's grandson and in case of Brahmā Marici was the name of his son.Rşabhadeva was Nābhirāya's son; Brahmā is also called Nābhija (born of nābhi). All these similarities cannot be without some reason or mere coincidences. It appears that these are descriptions of the same person and not two different individuals.
In Srimad Bhāgavata he is said to be the eighth of the twentyfour incarnations of Vişņu. Detailed description of Rşabhadeva is found in the 1st, 2nd, 5th, 11th,and 12th sections. It is mentioned there that in order to reveal the religion of unclad mendicants and transcendent ascetics, he appeared in sublime and tangible divine form from the womb of queen Marudevi.? In this Purāņa, it is mentioned at many places that Rşabhadeva preached a sublime religion that lead to liberation. He preached the Arhat sect. In the same way details about
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