Jaina Philosophy Historical Outline

SR No.: 006569
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Narendra Nath Bhattacharya
Publisher: Munshiram Manoharlal Publisher's Pvt Ltd New Delhi
Publication Year: 1976
Total Pages: 242
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 15 MB

Page 27

6 Jain Philosophy in Historical Outline
categories, Anuvratas or small vows and Mahāvratas or great vows, the former for the householders and the latter for ascetics. It is enjoined upon a householder to abstain from Samkalpi-himsă or intentional violence but not from accidental (Gṛhārambhi), occupational (Udyami) and protective (Virodhi) violence. But one who has renounced the life of a householder must avoid all the four kinds of Himsäs mentioned above. The Jains do not take food which involves the killing of animals. Along with flesh, wine and all kinds of intoxicants, even honey, are prohibited.1
Ancient sacred texts of the Jains were written in Ardhamāgadhi. Later on, many Jain works were written in Sanskrit. The contribution of the Jains to the growth and development of literature in regional languages was also immense. The Jains alone utilised different local languages, besides Sanskrit, Prakrit and Apabhramsa, for their religious propaganda as well as for preservation of knowledge, as a result of which regional languages like Hindi, Gujarati, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu and others were really enriched. In the field of architecture, although the Jains did not develop a distinct style of their own, yet it must be said to their credit that they had produced numerous fine specimens in different parts of the country. The marbles at Mount Abu in Rajasthan, the Raṇapur temple in Mewar, the Pārsvanatha temple at Khajuraho, the temple at Lakkuṇḍi in Karṇāṭaka, etc. may be referred to in this connection. Nice specimens of Jain sculptures, especially the statues of the Tirthamkaras, are found all over India. The most remarkable of the Jain statues are the celebrated colossi of Southern India, situated respectively at Śravaṇabelagola in Mysore and at Kārakala and Veņūra in South Kanara.
It is One of the six daily duties of a Jain layman to show compassion to all living beings and to help the needy. Four kinds of gifts are to be offered to the distressed-food (āhāra), protection (abhaya), medicine (auṣadha) and learing (śāstra) irrespective of religion, caste or creed. Jain inscriptions refer to the fact that the provision of medicine along with food and learning was made in the Mathas. In order to serve these purposes the Jains have built numerous Dharmaśālās and Piñjarāpolas and established hospitals and educational institutions and also libraries or Granthabhāṇḍāras in different parts of the country. It is said from some quarters that since the Jains insist solely upon the doctrine of Karma according to
1SBJ, IV, pp. 25ff.