Jain Rup Mandan

SR No.: 001961
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Umakant P Shah
Publisher: Abhinav Publications
Publication Year: 1987
Total Pages: 466
Language: English
Classification: Book_English & Art
File Size: 27 MB

Page 15

Jaina-Rapa-Mandana
J.C. Jaina writes: "It is curious to note, however, that most of the Tirthankaras have been assigned to the Iksvaku family and are said to have attained salvation at the mount Sammeta (modern Pārasanatha hill in the Hazaribag district, Bihar). So far no historical or archaeological evidence has come forth to warrant the historicity of the first twenty-two Tirthankaras; on the other hand, taking into consideration the long duration of their careers and the intermediate periods between each Tirthankara, they appear to be legendary figures introduced perhaps to balance the number of Jinas with the number of Buddhas."
Pārsvanatha and his disciples are referred to in various Jaina Canons. We learn from the Acārānga Sūtra that the parents of Mahavira followed the faith of Parsva and were adherents of the Samanas. Mahavira himself seems to have first followed the order of Pārśva. The Bhagavati Sūtra records a discussion between Mahāvīra and Samana (Śramaņa) Gingeya, a follower of Parśva. Samaņa Gängeya gave up the Caujjama Dhamma (Cituryima Dharma-the Doctrine of Four-fold Restraint) and embraced the Pañca-Mahāvrata (Five Great Vows) of Mahavira. It is stated in the Samaññaphala-sutta of the Buddhist Digha-Nikaya that a Nigantha is restrained with four-fold restraint (Caturyama-Samvara). Jacobi has shown the existence of the Nioanthas before Nitaputta (Jñatṛr-putra) Mahāvīra, on the strength of references in the Pali Literare. Inese Nirgranthas (knotless, i.e., free from bondage, attachment, etc.) were obviously followers of Parśva. The followers of Mahāvīra also were originally known as Nirgranthas.
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Pārśva emphasised the Doctrine of Ahimsa (non-injury) as a protest against Brahmanical sacrificial animal-slaughter, and added three more precepts, namely, abstinence from telling lies, from stealing, and from external possessions.10 Mahāvīra added the fifth vow of brahmacarya (celebacy) to the above four preached by Parśva. Another important difference between the Doctrine of Parsva and Mahavira was that the former allowed an under and an upper garment (santaruttaro whereas the latter forbade clothing altogether (for Jaina recluses).11
Mahāvīra was born in Kṣatriyakuṇḍagrāma, a suburb of Vaiśāli (modern Basarh in Bihar) in the house of King Siddhartha by his queen Trisala (acc. to Svetambara Jaina tradition) or Priyakariņi (acc. to Digambara Jaina tradition). According to the Svetambara tradition as recorded in the Kalpa-sūtra, Mahavira was first conceived in the womb of a Brāhmaṇa lady Devananda residing in another part of Vaiśāli but his embryo was transferred to the womb of the Ksatriya lady Triśala by (the goat-faced) Harinegamesin, the commander of infantry of Śakra, since the Indra thought that Tirthankaras were never born of Brahmana ladies. The supernatural element in the account obviously lends doubt to the historicity of the incident, which, it is interesting to note, is not reported in the Digambara tradition. In the Bhagavati-sutra, a canonical text acknowledged by the Svetämbara Jaina sect, is described the meeting of the Brahmana lady Devananda and the Tirthankara Mahavira. After the departure of the lady, Mahāvira, when questioned, explains to his chief disciple Indrabhūti (Gautama), that the lady was his (Mahavira's) mother. This further lends doubt to the historicity of this incident. 12 A stone panel depicting Harinegameşin seated on a throne and with some attendant ladies on one side, with one lady at the far end carrying a small baby in her hands, is obtained from the Kankali Ţilā, Mathura (Fig. 19). The stone panel is broken at one end and we do not know what figured beyond the representation of Harinegameşin seated on the throne. Below we find inscribed Bhagava Nemeso. Surely, this cannot be taken as the scene of transfer of Mahavira's embryo. As we have shown elsewhere, 13 Harinegameşin, as Nejamesa or Naigamesa is known to Vedic ceremony of Simantonnayana where three mantras addressed to Nejamesa are recited and in Brahmanical and ancient Indian traditions, Naigamesa is known as one of the attendants of Skanda, the Commander of God's army. Naigameșa was propitiated by Krishna for obtaining a beautiful son, according to the Jaina text Vasudevahindi. 14 So this panel may simply represent Harinegameşin as a god connected with protection of children, etc. Goat-faced terracotta figurines are obtained from many other north Indian sites, not necessarily showing Jaina association. During the early centuries of the Christian era, and perhaps a few centuries before, belief in malefic and benefic deities connected with child-birth, rearing of children, diseases of children etc., was very popular as can be seen from the Buddhist account of Hiriti and the references to Putanis, Ṣasthi, Revati, Bahuputrika yakṣi, and the Bāla-grahas obtained in ancient literature.