Aspects of Brahmanical Influence On Jaina Mythology

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

Page 67

Brahmanıcal Definition
49
and a number of other topics 26 It is obvious that these other topics comprised the smylimatters, such as sacraments, Vratas, Upavās as (fasts) expiations and other religious rites and rituals, and so on
As a result of that expansion of the Purāpic corpus, an attempt was made in the later period to distinguish between Purāna or Upapurāna and Mahā purāna, on the basis of the number of topics that it dealt with. Thus, the Maha-purana was described as having ten topics, whereas the Purana, keeping close to the Pañcalahşana definition came to be treated as Alpa or Upapurāna 26 It was thus that with all these and sundry topics the Purānas came to be looked upon as effective guides in different fields of human activities
Now coming to the Jaina Purānic literature, we find that the first three works, viz VPC, RPC and JHV do not provide any definition of Purāna, although all of them are styled as Puranas 27 Nevertheless, the topics, which they enumerate, clearly show that the subjects include most of the Purānic materials in a disguised form The topics as enumerated by Vimalasur are (1) Sthiti (the pature and position of the world), (11) Vamsa-samutpalti (origin of various dynasties), Prasthana (departure of Rāma, Laksmana and Sitā to the forest), (iv) Rana (war between Rāma and Rāvana), (v) Lavankusuppattı (birth of Lava and Ankuśa)28 (vi) Nirvana (emancipation of Rāma) and (v11) Anekabhava (description of various existences of the Sala
25 Ibid 104 13a-16,
Matsya Purāna—A Study, pp 173-70 26 "Titserta fahiz qat arraztu
वशो वशानुचरित सस्था हेतुरपाश्रय ॥ दशभिलक्षणयुक्त पुराण तद्विदो विदु । केचित् पञ्चविध ब्रह्मन् महदल्पव्यवस्थया ॥"
-Bhāgavata XII 79-10, Brahmavaivarla, IV 133 w 6-10 27 VPC 132, 118 111, RPC 1 44 123, 168, JHV, 151 28 for-77-7949717 TEYTUTU TOFAUTI I गिन्वाणमणेयभवा सत्त पुराणेत्थ अहिगारा ॥"
--VPC, 1 32, RPC, 1 43-44.