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Aspects of Brahmanıcal Influence on the Jaina Vízthology
are overcome, fear increases, therefore, do not kill, do not kıll "9 Now, as those Bhavyas daily recited the phrase má hana, they became known as Māhanas and gradually the Māhaņas became famous as Brahmanas 10
However, we also meet with other versions which do not subscribe to the fantastic way of deriving the word Brāhmana from Mahaņa with its afore-said curious interpretation JHV,11 for instance, though iepresenting the Brāhmanas as the creation of Bharata, ascribes their origin in thcir qualities of food-will towards all objects Those persons, did not sever their connection with their families and society, but were devoted to the religious practices in accordance with the tenets of the Jaina faith The creation of the Brahmana varna was like the investiture ceremony in which those householders after having been duly honoured with valuable gifts and presents, were marked by Käkınī with three-jewelled sacred thread Thus respected by Bharata, the Vralins were called Brāhmanas 12 It is remarkable that while Vimala and Ravisena ridicule and even abuse this new class as Sūtra-Kantha13 (with thread round their neck) and Paşandıng14 (heretics), the author of the Harivamsa. purāna calls them Vralins, 1 e observers of religious vows Thus in JH!' the feeling of haired towards the class in question, lias been moderated and directed against those Hindu Brahmanas who were advocates of the supemacy of the Vedas and were protagonists of the efficacy of animal sacrifices
Now it is in the Mahāpurāna of Jinasena that the Brāhmana Varna finds more idealısed representation than in JH! The author of the MP holds the Varna in the highest esteem He says that the best among the householders, who were born in high families and were desirous of the fruition of their religous १ जितो भवान् ववते भीस्तस्मान्मा हन मा हन ।
-Ibid, 16229b 10 FÀU HIERT I FRIUT sfa fazari
-Ibid, 16 248a 11 11 105-107 12 TOFT HUT TEFT afaat part 1
-Ibid, 11 107a 13 VPC, 4 C5 RPC 4 86 14 PC, 470, RPC, 4 116
