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30 SHRIMAD BHAGVAD GITA-A JAIN PERSPECTIVE
Intermixture of traditions :
While appreciating the ontological and philosophical aspects of different religious traditions which have their birth in the same national culture, it should be constantly born in mind that each of these traditions must have necessarily influnced the other in its individual development, and therefore, it is futile to consider which tradition was principally responsible to influence the other.
Word Jain is of later innovation :
Both Jainism and Buddhism belong to the Shraman tradition. However Buddism was established by Shri Gautam Buddha, while Jainism continued to exist in the present form much before Mahavira, its last Tirthankara (prophet). The word “Janism” is a subsequent innovation. In times of Shri Mahavira and Shri Buddha it was known as “Path of Arhat” or “Path of Niganthas.”
Having considered this background, let us
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