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20 Jaina Religion: Its Historical journey of evolution
The concepts of tapas, renunciation, detachment, meditation concentration, liberation, non-violence etc. that did not exist in early Vedic hymns and ritualistic Brāhmaṇa literature, came into existence in later literature like Aranyakas and post-Vedic literature specially the Upanişads. It appears, therefore that these concepts came into the Vedic stream because of the influence of the path of renunciation of Śramanic culture. Mahābhārata of which Gītā is a part does not represent pure Vedic ritualism. On the one hand, Upanişads, Mahābhārata and Gītā with their re-examination of Vedic ritualism and combining it with spiritualism have tried to re-define it and on the other hand a clear acceptance of tapas, renunciation and liberation etc. prove the fact that these scriptures indicate a confluence of Vedic and Sramanic thought-streams or they are the meeting point of these two cultures.
The Upanişads and Mahābhārata of which Gītā is a part do not represent pure Vedic ritualism. It is a combination of Śramanic nivstti-mārga and Vedic pravstti-mărga. Where Upanişads, Mahābhārata and Gītā have given considerable place to spiritualistic elements of Śramanic culture on the on the one hand, they have given new definitions to yajñas and other Vedic rituals on the other hand. The meaning of yajña, for example has
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