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The Puranas on Sacramental, Ethical and Philosophical Planes
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harm to the created being is certainly Dharma, for Dharma was ordained for protecting creatures from injury "85
In fact, not only ethical teachers but also philosophical thinkers put forth non-injury to creatures, truth, justice, righteousness and morality-all implying Dharma-as the essential condition for material prosperity and spiritual growth of mankind With this end in view the epic gives another definition of Dharma which is based in some measure on its etymological sense Dharma, according to that definition, "is so called because it upholds all created beings "386 It 18 obvious that the definition 10 question is comprehensive enough to include within its fold not only the above-mentioned qualities but also many others, such as fearlessness, liberality, absence of anger and greed, forgiveness, absence of mance and conceit, et ceteraall contributing towards the upkeep of social order in its three dimensions-physical, moral and spiritual The varseşıka definition of Dharma "as a principle that promotes both material well-being and spiritual advancement"87 also points to the same truth almost in an abstract form Now, studied in the above background, the Jaina Puranic teachings betray exact agreement with the Brahmanıcal standpoint To begin with, Jinasena has given the definition of Dharma at two places The first definition uses the same terminologies as have been taken recourse to by the author of the varšeşikasülras Like the latter hc defines Dharma as a principle which leads to the attainment of both mundane object and spiritual goal 88 The second 85 अहिंसायि भूताना धर्मप्रवचन कृतम् । य. स्यादहिंसासम्पृक्त स धर्म इति निश्चय ॥
-Ibid , XII 109 12 86 ETCUTE SHTATETAT E qatori यत्स्याद् धारणसयुक्त स धर्म इति निश्चय ॥
-Ibid Kamnaparvan, 09 68 87 यतोऽभ्युदयनि श्रेयससिद्धि स धर्म
--Paiseşıka-sūtra 88 यतोऽभ्युदयनि श्रेयसार्थससिद्धिरञ्जसा । gh,..... ..............11
-AP i 120 See also 5 20,
