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THE TIRTHANKARAS AND LORD MAHAVIRA
The historicily of Lord Pārsvanātha is no longer in dispute as stated by Dr. Jacobi. The scenes of his life are found sculptured in the caves of Khandagiri and Udayagiri in They belong to the second century B. C. The inscription of Indo-Scythian period found at Mathurā also establishes his antiquity.6 Dr. Zimmer has observed: “More striking still are those Jaina images of Pārsvanātha that represent him with two serpants sprouting from his shoulders; these point to a connection of some kind'with ancient Mesopotemian art, and suggest something of that great antiquity of the symbols incorporated in the Jaina cult.”
The religion preached by Pārsvanātha was more comprehensive than the one preached by his predecessors. It appears from the conversation between Kesi, the follower of Pārsva and Gautama the follower of Vardhamāna as recorded in the Uttaradhyayana Sūtra that the three Jewels, viz, Right Faith, Right Knowledge and Right Conduct had already been part of the Jaina religion. Pārsva preached only the four aņuvratas as mentioned above thinking that aparigrapha included celibacy also. Pārśva permitted the monks the use of an under and an upper garment. The explanation by Gautama is that the Tirthankara fixed what is necessary for carrying out the rules of the Dharma. It appears that the question of garment was not regarded as of much consequence since what was important was internal purity. It is recognised that the earlier Tirihankaras had preached sāmāyika (introspection) and samyama (selfrestraint). Pratikramana or repentance was prescribed for all breaches of rules of vows committed by a Šramaņa. Besides Pārśva opened the minds of people to the futility of wrong practices and rituals for spititual elevation and empnasised the need of perfect faith, knowledge and conduct for self-realization.
Lord Mahävira
Mahāvíra is the last of the twenty-four Tirthankaras. It is now undisputed that he is not the founder of Jainism.
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