Compendium of Jainism

Author(s): T K Tukol, A N Upadhye
Publisher: Prasaranga Karnatak University Dharwar

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COMPTNDIUM OF JAINISM
The details given in the Mahāpurāņa about their parentage, about the dreams that the mother of cach had at about the time of conception (garbha-kalyāņa), birth, (janma-kalyāņa), ascension to the throne (kalyāņa rājyārobaņa), initiation (diksākalyāna) and attainment of Nirvāna (Mokşā -kalyāna) are full of details. The gods led by Indra attended and actively participated in each function. Each Tirthankara has a history of his previvus births as man and beast until his last birth as a human being in which he attained Nirvāṇa and becanie a Jina. The first Tirthankara was a person of stupendous height and his life span extended over millions of years.
The dreams dreamt by the mother of each of the Tirthankaras must have been inserted in the Purāņās to impress on the parents that they were to have a son who was destined to be a Jina and that austere life of purity and piety on their part was most essential. The worship and the celebrations on the five occasions called panca-kalyāna pūjās were perhaps necessary to create an awakening amongst the public and to herald to the world the advent of a new teacher. The descriptions about the height and span of life were intended to impress on the followers the physical and spiritual zenith each Jina had reached; it is not unlikely that he poet who visualized in his mind the most astounding strength and prowess, attributed the same to each of the Jinas in his poetic descriptions and thus impressed on his readers their divine grandeur and lustre all through their worldly existence. The bhavavali or the history of previous births and deaths is intended to emphasise the inexorable character of the law of karnia operating in the life of every living being, however exalted might be the status he ultimately realized.,'
It is impossible to narrate the life-history of all the Tirthankaras. Besides, the historicity of many of them is still shrouded in mythology. It would be too dogmatic to think that the Tirthankaras were all niyihological since the historicity of at least the last three of them is now recognised, even though some fifty years ago many scholars wrongly asserted that