Page Text
________________ THE ISIBHASIYAI AND PALI BUDDHIST TEXTS A STUDY* Prof. C. S. Upasak The Isibhasiyai (Rsibhasitani :' c. 2nd-1st cent. B.C.) is the only Praksta Jaina text which incorporates the sayings of some 44 (or 45) seers most of whom, from the later Jaina standpoint, are definitely heretics, or at best are those that belonged to contemporary non-Jaina religious folds. These saints are designated as 'Isi' (Rsi, though not in the same connotation as given in the Brahmanical texts), in this ancient Jaina work. They, moreover, and invariably, are called 'Araha' (Arhat), the two honorific terms are used there as synonyms. 'Isi' is a person gifted with special spiritual powers of insight and intuition, a holy man, an anchorite. In Pali Buddhist texts, 'Isi' occurs as a synonym of "Paccekbuddha", and probably was used in the same sense as implied in the Jaina texts Paccekabuddha attains 'enlightenment' by himself, without any guidance or help of a teacher like the Buddha, but does not indulge in proclaiming and propagating he 'Truth' and so does not found his Sangha'or sect and hence had no following. It appears that, in the Buddhist texts, the Buddha, the Paccekabuddha and the Arhat as terms were somewhat more frequently employed than in the Jaina texts where the term muni became popular for a saint, although all these terms were known to both the branches of the Sramanic culture. Undoubtedly, the term Paccekabuddha has been exclusively used by the Buddhists in early times, the Jainas seemingly adopted it later. In the Buddhist tradition the Paccekabuddha was held in very high esteem and is mentioned along with the Buddha and the Arhat. During the Kusana period, in the early centuries of the Christian era, when the worship of the Buddha became more popular by his thorough deification, the worship of Paccekabuddha also became popular. In the Taxila Scroll Inscription of a Kusana king (year 136/ A.D. 79), exhumed from Dharmarajika stupa along with the relics of the Buddha, the worship of Paccekabuddha is recorded together with the Buddha and the Arhat." * by courtesy : Aspects of Jainology, Vol. III, Pt. Dalsukh Malvania Felicitation, Vol. I, P.V. Research Institute, Varanasi, 1991, Page 68-73.
| SR No. | 004282 |
| Book Title | Prakirnak Sahitya Manan aur Mimansa |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | Sagarmal Jain, Suresh Sisodiya |
| Publisher | Agam Ahimsa Samta Evam Prakrit Samsthan |
| Publication Year | 1995 |
| Total Pages | 274 |
| Language | Hindi |
| Classification | Book_Devnagari |
| File Size | 17 MB |