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The Teachings of Arhat Pārśva and the Distinctness of his Sect
the 11 Anga-books of Mahāvīra's tradition.
The Isibhāsiyāiñ has an independent chapter on Pārsva's doctrines and teachings.30 The authenticity of the Pārsva's view presented in this chapter cannot be doubted for various reasons. First, the Isibhāsiyāiñ contains the teachings not only of Pārsva but also of Arhat Vardhamāna of the Nirgrantha Church, Mankhali Gośāla of the Ajīvaka sect; Vajjiyaputta, Mahākassapa, Indranāga and Sāriputta of the Buddhist Church, and Yājñavalkya, Asita-Devala, and Uddālaka-Aruņi of the Vedic tradition. When we compare the views of the aforesaid saints mentioned in the Isibhāsiyāiñ with the texts of their own traditions, we notice general similarity between them, which by and large proves the authenticity of the content of the Isibhāsiyāiñ. If the author of the work in presenting had remained faithful to the original teachings of the ysis or teachers of the other sects, we must conclude that he also was faithfully presenting the views of Pārsva. Second, we find that the teachings of Pārsva presented in the Isibhāsiyāiñ corresponds to that which is stated of Pārsva's church in other canonical works like the Sūtrakrtānga, the Uttarādhyayana, and the Vyākhyā-prajñapti. Third, the authenticity as well as high antiquity of the Pārsvachapter in the Isibhāsiyāiñ can also be supported on the ground that this chapter is represented by its two separate versions. It is said that the second version of this book originally was found in the text named Gati-vyākarana i.e. the Praśnavyākaraņa. The reference thus runs:
गतिवागरणगंथाओ पमिति जाव सामित्तं इमं अज्झयणं ताव इमो बीओ पाढो दिस्सति
The views of these two versions of the same chapter fully correspond to each other with slight difference in content and to an extent in language, a few details figuring more in one than in the other. Thus, at a very early date, two versions (vācanās) of the same subject had existed. This chapter contains philosophical as well as ethical views of Arhat Pārsva. First of all, in this text, the views of Pārsva about the nature of the world are stated. To explain the nature of the world the following five questions were raised:
(1) What is the nature of the world (loka)? (2) What are the different planes of the world? (3) To whom the world belongs? (4) What does one mean by (the term) "world"? (5) What is the meaning of the term loka?
Answering these five questions Arhat Pārsva said:
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