Introducing Jainism

SR No.: 006956
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Satyaranjan Banerjee
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication
Publication Year: 2002
Total Pages: 90
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 9 MB

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INTRODUCING JAINISM the 6th or 5th cent. B.C. would be the time of Buddha as well. The date of Pārsvanātha is much older than that of Mahāvīra. According to the Cambridge History of India, Pārsvanātha lived some 220 years prior to Mahāvīra. The traditional date of the birth of Pārsvanātha is 817 B.C.21 If that is taken to be partially true, then Jainism must have penetrated into India nearly three centuries before Gautama Buddha. Though Charpentier did not go beyond Pārsva, we may add here that the 22nd Tirthankara. Aristanemi. is said to have preached and practised Jainism and to have attained Nirvana on the Mount Girnar in the Junagarh State. If Śri Krsna is to be taken as a historical person, then Ariştanemi may also be regarded as such. In that case, Jainism can be further pushed back to n
back to nearly 1000 B.C.
To sum up this discussion, it can be said in a tabulated form thus :
Tīrthankaras Views of scholars Approximate Dates [1] Ariştanemi
nearly 1000 B.C. [2] Pārsvanātha According to the nearly 817 B.C.
Cambridge History
of India [3] Mahāvīra (i) According to 599-527 B.C.
Svetambara view (ii) According to 659-587 B.C. Digambara view (iii) According to 549-477 B.C.
Hermann Jacobi [4] Mahāvīra
72 years lived for
ii) References to Jainism in the Buddhist literature
That Jainism is older than Buddhism can be proved by the fact that Buddhist literature contains references to the Jain views. “As a matter of fact”, says A. Chakravarti, "Buddha was a younger contemporary of Lord Mahāvīra.
21. Majumdar, ibid., p. 1045.