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Aspects of Brahmanical Influence on the Jain Mythology
be vindicated on the basis of the Jaina account We may, however, justify it in the light of the Hindu mythological tradition, according to which Brahmass alone is entitled to the designation of Hiranyagarbha due to his mythical appearance. Now a study of the Jaina account of Rşabha's life shows that only the first Jina has been raised to the status of Brahmā par excellence In view of the above fact Rşabḥa alone deserves to be styled Hiranyagarbha In this way the term in question has been endued with a special cum-general etymological sense and has, therefore, been used as an attributive name of the Jaina Brahma to the exclusion of other Jinas who, though deified and vested with superhuman character, were not given the prerogative of creatorship
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1
Next, As Lokapitāmaha, viz. grandsire or progenitor of all beings, Rşabha is represented not only as Brahmā but also as Kasyapa, the mythical father of all the diverse and sundry created beings of the world This way he is made to represent two distinct stages of world development. For, we know from the Brahmanical epic-Puranic tradition that Kaśyapa, son of Marica who was mind-born son of Brahma married thirteen daughters of Dalşa Prajapatz40 and begot on
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"बृहत्त्वाच्च स्मृतो ब्रह्मा"
and comp "वृहत्त्वाद्भगवान् ब्रह्मा नाभेय."
RPC, 11 201a The author of the Mahapurana goes to an extreme in his fervour for establishing Rsabhadeva's special claim to the status of Brahma with a dig at the character of the first member of the Brah. manical Trinity, which refers to the Puranic story of Brahma's lust for His own daughter Thus the author says ब्रह्मा स्वयम्भूर्भगवान् परमेष्ठी जिनोत्तम ॥ म ह्यादिपरमब्रह्मा जिनेन्द्रो गुरगबृ हरणात् । पर ब्रह्म यदायत्तमामनन्ति मुनीश्वरा ॥ नैणाजिनधरो ब्रह्मा जटाकूर्चादिलक्षण । य कामगर्दभो भूत्वा प्रच्युतो ब्रह्मवर्चसात् ।
MP, 39 127d-129, Comp Matsya-P 3 30-45 Also see PMP. VIII
2 15h
Vayu-P 4 43a
39 Vide notes 27 and 28 (ante)
40 EW Hopkins, Epic Mythology, p 190, AIHT, pp 188-180
