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46 MAHĀVĪRA : HIS LIFE AND TEACHINGS their discipline The parents of Mahāvīra were lay worshippers of Pārśva The influence of his teachings on the life of Mahāvīra's parents is described in the Ācārånga thus 'Mahāvīra's parents were worshippers of Pārsva and followers of the Sramanas. During many years they were followers of the Śramanas and for the sake of protecting the six classes of lives they observed, blamed, repented, confessed, and did penance according to their sins On a bed of kusa grass they rejected all food, and their bodies dried up by the last mortification of the flesh, which is to end in death Thus they died
and, leaving their bodies, were born as gods in Adbhuta Kalpa (better, Acyuta Kalpa) '1.
The existence of Pārsva's Order in Mahāvira's time is further proved by the reported disputes between the followers of Pãrýva and those of Mahāvīra The Bhagavatī-Sūtra describes one of such disputes which arose between Kālāvesiyaputta, a follower of Pārsva, and a disciple of Mahāvīra. The dispute, of course, ended when the former
changed the law of the four vows for the law of the five vows enjoining compulsory confession'?
· Jaina-Sūtras, I, p. 194 2 Chimanlal J Shah, Jainism in Northern India, p. 10.
