Jainism in North India

SR No.: 011067
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Chimanlal J Shah
Publisher: Longmans Green and Compny London
Publication Year: 1932
Total Pages: 66
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 3 MB

Page 125

JAINISM IN NORTH INDIA. lay-votaries, 327,000 female lay-votaries and a few thousands more belonging to the higher grade of religious qualification." From Parsva to Mahavira there are no data of any historical worth. A period of two hundred and fifty years in Jaina listory has to remain blank because of the absence of any historical records or monuments on which we can rely for purposes of history Anyhow this much is certain, that though it is not possible at present historically to fill up the gap between the last two prophets of the Jainas, it may safely be said that throughout thus period Jainism was a living religion? As already seen, all along the Jaina clergy of Parsva's school of thought were exerting their own influence, and Mahavira and some of his followers had regularly to face some representatives of that class just to win them over to the reformed church of the sixth century BC. Coming to the days of Mahavira one seems to feel as if a better situation has to be met with, but here also, barring the canonical literature of the Jainas and the Buddhas and certain other traditions, there is hardly anything on which we can fall back upon." Fortunately for us, the Jaina sacred books bave preserved facts and comments which, though in bits and fragments, are yet sufficient to hold up before our eyes a living picture of this period of the Jaina history Like Parsva, Mahavira also had his bloodrelations with the ruling dynasties of his age. His father, Siddhartha, was a great nobleman himself, and he belonged to the clan of the Jnatu Kshatriyas. His headquarters were at Kundapura or Kundagama (Kundagrama), and from the way in which he is 19 Jacobi, SBE, XX1, p 274 एवं विहरतो भर्तुः सहस्राः पोडशयः / सष्टाविशत्सहस्राणि साध्वनां तु महामनाम् // श्रावका लपमेकं चतुःषष्टिसहमयुक्॥ श्राविकाणां तु विलक्षी सहस्राः साविंशतिः / -Hemacandra, op art, v 812, 314, 315, p 229 Cf Kalpa-Sutra, Subodhra-hd, sal 161-104, pp 180-181 s Of Hoernte, Uvasaga-Dazio, 1, 0, n 8 14 Early Inchan history as yet resembles those maps of our grandfathers in which Geograpbers for lack of towns Drew elephants on pathless downs though the Jainas bave kept hustoncal records of their own, it is very dificult to correlate these records with known facts in the world's history "-Stevenson (Trs), op cit, p 7 "It 18 another name for Vaibal (modern Besath) in the district of Mozaffarpur (Tirhut), in fact Kundagama (Kundagrada), now called Basukund, yas a part of the ancient town of Varsali, the latter comprising three districts or quarters Vaistali propre (Besirh), Kundapur (Basukund), and Vanaghma (Bani) "-Dey, op.at, p 107 84