History of Jaina Monachism

SR No.: 001727
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: S B Deo
Publisher: Deccan College Research Institute
Publication Year: 1956
Total Pages: 616
Language: English
Classification: Book_English, Principle, & History
File Size: 12 MB

Page 61

S. B. DEO For these reasons, he concludes that "the institution of Sramanism grew up among the imperfectly Aryanised communities of the East, spread, flourished and became highly popular, and with the remarkable elasticity which is characteristic of Brahmanism, was later affiliated to the Aryan system of life, becoming the fourth āśrama".
The gist of the problem is that those who regard the fourth stage of Brāhmanism to be late and coming from outside, naturally trace Jainism and Buddhism as due to Magadhan substratum, while those who believe that sannyāsa is older than these two, naturally derive Jainism from it.
From the survey of these different theories regarding the origin of śramanism, one fact comes to prominence; and that is that each of them stresses a particular factor. All these factors are as follows:
(1) Kshatriya protest, (2) Organised Sophistic wanderers, (3) The qualities of the Brahmacārin, (4) The qualities of the Brahmacārin and the Brahmavādin, (5) Copy of the Brāhmanical rules for Sannyāsa, and (6) The existence of Magadhan religion in the eastern parts of India.
Conclusion:
It may be noted that each of these elements may be said to have—to some extent, if not solely_helped the formation of the great wandering community of the Sramaņas. The Śramaņas did reveal anti-Brāhmanical feelings as they were dissatisfied with the degenerated Brahmin priesthood. They resembled the sophistic wanderers only because they also led a wandering life with a missionary zeal. They presented similarities with the Brahmacārin as well as the Brahmavādin to the extent of having a few similar moral qualifications. Their life and that of a Brahmin Sannyāsi was perhaps identical due to the fact that both these modes of life were based on the principle of least dependence on society. And lastly, they were predominantly Magadhan inasmuch as they seem to have originated first in Magadha, adopted the local language, influenced the local people and then spread out to the other parts of India.
On the whole, it appears, therefore, that Sramanism was the outcome of the blending of all these elements-indigenous and borrowed.