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and made a householder. Śakti-the wife of Rudra Sıva with a garland of skull bones, is consistent with siva the Kāpālıka. The The old lord who was “Sarva-Jiva-dagā" para compassionate towards all Living Beings )-the symbol of harmony of Love and Peace was made at one stroke Rudra, the terrible destroyer of the Universe. This may be enough for the historical survey of Jainism in South India.
Jainism is Highly Democratic. The introduction of the Purāņic Hindu cult of the revivalists not only brought in such a deplorable change in the religious ideal but also brought in an equally deplorable change in the Social, organisation. According to Jainism, there was no Varņāśraina Dharma as is associated with Purāņic Hinduism. Lord Rişahha when he organised the society on functional basis of trade, agriculture, and defense, did not introduce the sect of Brahmins Bharata, Lord Risabha's son and successor to the kingdom, felt the necessity of creating a new group of people to look after religious worship and propagation of higher Dharma. How he created the Brāhmin group is an interesting study. He devised a. method of selecting the best men in the society who would pay unswerving loyalty to A-hinsa Dharma, and these were called Brāhmins not by birth but because of qualification, and they were ordained to be the custodians of religious ceremonies and the propagation of religious Dharma. Thus the differentiation in social organisation according to Jainism is entirely due to qualification and not to birth. Even a low born Cāņdāla if he had necessary qualification, had the chance of being considered the highest in society. That such was the organisation of society in the South, is borpe out by Tamil literature. Ancient Tāmil literature has two distinct words-one to designate the Brahmin by birth, and the other to designate the Brāhmin by qualification. The former is always referred to as Parpan and the latter because of his loyalty to A-himsā Faith, is called Andanar. The clefinition in Kural of an Anlamar as one who is of the A-birisū faith, and who is characterised by his love and sympathy tu
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| SR No. | 008001 |
| Book Title | Shraman Bhagvana Mahavira Part 1 |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | Ratnaprabhvijay, D P Thaker |
| Publisher | Parimal Publication |
| Publication Year | 1989 |
| Total Pages | 650 |
| Language | English, Sanskrit |
| Classification | Book_English, Biography, History, & Religion |
| File Size | 15 MB |