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JAINISM IN NORTH INDIA (200 BC-AD 600)
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which originated in the first half of the third century BC in the Therāvalī also directly testifies to the early popularity of Jainism that region.
Like Kaušāmbi, the great city of Srāvastī was associated with Jainism from very early times. It was believed to be the birthplace of the third Tirthamkara, Sambhavanātha. This city was very intimately associated with the life and activities of both Mahāvīra and the Buddha. It was in this town that the first Ninhava Jamāli declared himself a Jina and the city was also a great centre of the Ajīvika religion. The Bhagavatil4 gives us the information that it was at this town that Gośāla declared himself a kevalin. The death of that famous Ājivika philosopher took place at this town sixteen years before the demise of Mahāvīra. Lord Buddha spent the major part of his ascetic-life here at the Jetavana vihāra which was built by prince Jeta for the Buddhist community at a very high cost. Srāvasti was the capital of Pasenadi (Prasenajit) of Kosala, a prominent figure in the Pāli texts. The Jainas, however, almost completely ignore this royal personality.
The Therāvali refers to the Srāvastikā śākhā which originated in the third century BC, and this particular Svetāmbara branch was obviously associated with the city of Srāvasti. We have already seen that this city was looked upon as the birthplace of Sambhava. It is interesting to note that one of the mounds of the ruined city is still known as the mound of Sobhnath, which is a vernacular corruption of the original Sambhavanātha. A detailed description of the ruined temple has been provided by Vogel in his Report." The description leaves little scope to doubt that the original temple of Sambhavanātha was built a few centuries before the birth of Christ. We must remember that Srāvasti was in utter ruins when Fa-hien visited this city in about AD 400. The original temple of Sambhavanātha was probably still there when the Chinese pilgrims came to India. The ruined temple has yielded a substantial number of Jaina images including those of Rsabhanātha and Mahāvīra.16 The icons belong to the Svetambara sect and have stylish affiliation with those found from Mathurā.'' The temple of Sambhava at Srāvasti was rebuilt several times and finally it was destroyed during the reign of Ala-ud-din as we learn from Jinaprabha. 18 That Srāvasti afterwards became a famous centre of the Digambara religion is evident from the Bịhatkathākośa'of Harișeņa, a text composed in AD 931.
Adicchatra or Ahicchatra, the ancient capital of North Pancala,
