Aspects of Brahmanical Influence On Jaina Mythology

Author(s): Shaktidhar Jha
Publisher: Bharat Bharti Bhandar

Page 20

Aspects of Brahmanical Influence on the Jaira Mythology'
manical Puranas as well as the Brliatkatha have scrved as bedrock on which the huge superstructure of the Jaina mythological edifice is erected The survey further reveals that not only the abovementioned works but also those of the classical Sanskrit poets of ornate styles have furnished them with many a gem of excellent ideas, expressions, phrases and lines to a great extent
To begin with, a few obvious cases of borrowing from the epics may be mentioned here as our guide The verse 11 204 of the Padmacarıla? of Ravisena for instance, is exactly the same as one found in the Bhagavadgitā 3 Similarly, the phrase jato dharmas tato jayahe is too famous to require any evidence for the original claim of the Mahābhārata to it Further, one Mahabharata verses, said to have been universally recited during the Jātakarma ceremony of a newly born child, is found emboxed in the Adipurānas of Jinasena with similar motive Moreover, we will see in the sequel? how the Jaina Purānas, particularly the MP and the TSPG, have derived
2 विद्याविनयसम्पन्ने ब्राह्मणे गवि हस्तिनि । शुनि चैव श्वपाके च पण्डिता समशिन ॥
-Padmacarıta, 11 204 (Henceforward
referred to as RPG) 3 V 18 4 RPC, 11 74, "यत कृष्णस्ततो धर्मों यतो धर्मस्ततो जय."
---MBH. VI 66 35b Also see V S Suktbankar, On
the Meaning of the Mahābhārata, pp 12,23 5. अङ्गादगात्सम्भवसि हृदयादभिजायसे । प्रात्मा वै पुत्रनामासि स जीव शरदः शतम् ॥
MBL I 68 62 6 Adipurāna, 40 114 अङ्गादङ्गात्सम्भवसि हृदयादपि जायसे । आत्मा वै पुयनामामि स जीव शरद शतम् ॥ The only difference between the two versions is that the Adipuräna has
used the indeclinable api in licu of the prefix abhi in the MBh yersion, 7. Chap. IX