________________
Jaina Religion: Its Historical Journey of Evolution 19
On the one hand it mentions Vedic society and Vedic rituals, on the other; it not only mentions Vratyas, Śramaņas and Arhats but has also expressed reverence for Tirthankaras of Jaina tradition such as Rṣabha and Aristanemi etc. This shows that in the very beginning of historical period these two cultures were concurrently prevalent. Śaivism and Samkhya-Yoga traditions, which belonged to nirvartaka, or Śramana tradition, originally got merged into the broader Hindu tradition.
The
excavations of Harappa and Mohenjodaro reveal that there existed a very high level of culture in India even before Vedic culture which laid great emphasis on tapas, meditation etc. The discovery of the seals of mendicant yogis from these excavations and absence of yajñaśālās prove an important point - that it represented the culture of tapas and dhyāna or in short Śramaņa culture or culture of Vratis. It is certain that the arrival of Aryans and the beginning the Vedic period showed both the streams flowing simultaneously and influencing each other substantially. The low esteem shown for Vratyas in the Ṛgveda has changed into high esteem for them in the Atharvaveda, which is a symbol intermingling of two streams.
of the
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
