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50
Aspects af Brahmanıcal influence on the Faina Mythology
kāpuruşas). Jinsena in his Hardansapurāna2° gives the number of contents as eight These, according to JHV, are (1) Lokasamsthāna, (11) Rājadamsodbhava, (111) Haridamsavatāra (origin of the Harı dynasty), (iv) Vasudevanceștita (exploits of Vasudeva), (v) Neminālhacarta (The narrative of Neminātha, which includes in major parts the accounts of Kssna's life), (vi) Dvārāvati-niueśana (founding of Doārāvali, (vii) Yuddha-varnana (the description of war between Krsna and Jarāsandha, the ninth Vasudeda and Prativasudeva respectively) and (v1u) Nirvana (the liberation of Neminātha and other Salākāpurusas from the worldly cycle).
A comparison of the abovementioned two lists clearly słows that the first two ard the last topics of both the lists are of general character and may form the subjectmatter of all the Purānas, irrespective of their specialisation in the treatment of any particular Canta or a set of them The remaining topics, however, are of a special type and concern the life-stories of Rama and of Nemināth, or more appropriately, of Vasudeda and Kişna respectively
A study of the Purānas under review reveals that the first topic of the above lists, viz Sthat and Lohasamsthāna obviously replaces the first two characteristics of the Brahmanical Pan
calal şcna definiucn The treatment of this topic includes the description of the three divisions of the universe together with their various subdivisions It is under this section that the Jaina Puranas affirm the eternal nature of the world, which according to the Jaina belief, is without beginning and endso (anādyanidhana) The second topic of the lists, viz Varšasa
29 "UTFITFHZTat tangga. I
हरिगशावतारोऽतो वसुदेव-विचेष्टितम् ॥ चरित नेमिनाथस्य द्वारावत्या निवेशनम् । युद्धवर्णननिर्वाणे पुरारणेऽप्टी शुभा इमे ॥"
-171-72 30 "लोनो प्रणाइनिणोऽतिभेयभिन्नो हवइ निच्चो"
VPC, 3 18b, JHV, 4 4, MP, 4.38-40,