Lord Mahavira and His Times

SR No.: 011080
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Kailashchandra Jain
Publisher: Motilal Banarasidas
Publication Year: 1974
Total Pages: 427
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 20 MB

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(iii) Purāņas and Charitras
Like the Puranas of the Brahmins, Jaina Purānas too are available. In some Jaina Purāṇas and the Charitras, accounts of the life of Mahavira and of other contemporary rulers have been given. These are not of much importance from the historical point of view as they appeared very late and their descriptions are exaggerated. The main Puranas concerning the life of Mahavira are Jinasena's Harivaṁsapurāṇa (783 A.D.) and Gunabhadra's Uttarapurāņa (9th century A.D.). The Trishashṭhisalākāpurushacharitra of Hemachandra (12th century A.D.) yields some information regarding Lord Mahāvīra and some of his contemporary rulers. The Mahavirachariyam of Nemichandra, the Mahāvirachariyam of Gunachandra Gaņi, the Vardhamānacharitra of Asaga (988 A.D.), and the Vardhamanacharita of Sakalakirti (1464 A.D.) are late biographical works on Mahavira.
(iv) Miscellaneous Works
The Tiloyapannati of Vrishabha (V.S. 535), the Dasabhakti of Pujyapada (5th century A.D.), the Jayadhavalā Ţikā of Virasena (V.S. 873), the Trilokasära of Nemichandra (973 A.D.), the Parisishṭaparvan of Hemachandra (12th century A.D.) and the Vicharasreni of Merutunga (1306 A.D.) have been utilised in one way or the other for this work.
(b) Collateral Evidence
The collateral evidence supplied by the Buddhist and Brahmanical accounts is to a great extent supplementary to Jaina evidence. There is a good deal of agreement between them. This evidence may be placed under two heads: (i) the Buddhist and (ii) the Brahmanical.
(i) Buddhist Literature
Like the Jaina canon, the Buddhist canon was not compiled at one particular time. It is primarily concerned with the carly Buddhist doctrines but incidentally throws light on the political and cultural aspects of the society as well. Among the Buddhist canonical texts, the Finaya Pitaka and Sutta Pitaka are important.