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The Manus and their Periods
his rives hosts of gods Darlzas, Dānavas, Rákşasas as well as mcn, animals and other ccnticnt and non senticnt beings 41
Now, as the father of dynastics, Rsabha is throughout represented as Ihsalu In this regard both the Digambara and Svelâmbara schools show remarkablc agreement But with regard to the interpretation of the term both the schools are at variance, though giving equally fanciful etymology of the term Thus according to the Digambara school, Ihsvaku was so named because his subjects had abundance of sugarcane juice to drink... But the Soclambara accounts, though connecting the name with the sainc Ikşı, give the interpretation of the term in their own way According to their version Rşabha was called thşvāku, because he stretched his hand to receive sugarcanc (stick) from Sakra 43 So the latter named Rşabha's family as Iksvāku.
Thus we have seen that Brahma Svayambhi, Nabhi, Rşabha Maricı, Kassapa, Manu and lkşvaku have already been represented in the Brahmanıcal cpic-Purānic tradition as mythical forefathcrs of mankind But when we meet them in the Jaina narrative literature, we find them there in a slightly disguised appearance and in a changed situation. They mark in the Brahmanical mythology different and distinct stages of universal development in sequcntial order But in the Jaina Puranas these most ancient personages have lost their individuality, and their names have been jumbled together as cpithets of Rsabhadeva to show the various aspects of his superhuman character
41. MBH 1 65 118, 00 34 42 JHV, 8 210, MP 16 264 43 CMC, p 37, Is 10-12, TSPC 12 664-69.