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Vol. 14, No. 4, 2002, 49-60 ARHAT VACANA Kuntakunta Jhānapitha. Inachon THE JAINA HAGIOGRAPHY AND
THE SATKHANDAGĀMA
Dr. Bhuvanendra Kumar *
According to the Jaina records, the origin of the Jaina religion can be traced back many millennia to Rsabha, the first Tirthankara, also known by the term Jina. Since his time, there have been a total of twenty-four such Jinas, the last being Mahävira. Thus the envolvement of Jainism occuring over many millennia in subcontinent India will furnish a Jaina hagiography for an historic perspective. 1. Early Jaina Hagiography -
Primarilly, there are two main narrative structures for early Jaina hagiographies : those about the Tirth ankars who made doctrinal assertions and postulated theories on various philosophical perspectives, and the ganadharas, the immediate principal disciples of the Tirthankaras.
These hagiographies furnish a total of twenty-four names of the T'irthankaras, who have taken birth over many millennia. While all Tirthankaras reaffirmed the fundamental beliefs of Jaina religion during different socio-cultural eras and civilizations, they often introduced additional philosophical pronouncements which better reflected existing social and societal schema. That is, upon enlightenment, each Jina had gathered a set of disciples, known as ganadharas who, after receving philosophical postulates directly from their respective Tirthankaras, elucidated and elaborated the meaning and essence of various doctrines of their Master into tenets of ethical morals for the larger benefit of human kind. 1.1 The Tirthankaras
The lives and times of twenty-four Tirthankaras living in different eras of subcontinent India have been classified into three periods - proto - historic, pre-historic and histroic.
According to tradition, the first two Tirthankaras, Rsabha and Ajitanātha, should be assigned to the proto - historic period, circa 6800 - 7000 B.C.E. Prof. P.M. Joseph, based on the Jaina text Mahāpurāna, has provided the picture of the socio-anthropological aspects of the times of Rsabha. It was that of proto - historic Indian life where there existed a particular fusion of cultural, social and societal order which was governed by fourteen successive Kulakaras Nābhirāja was the last Kulakara. He was followed by his son, Rsabha.
* Editor - Jinamanjari, 4665 Moccasin Trail, Mississauga, ON, Canada L4Z2w5. Jain Education International
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