Comprehensive History Of Jainism

Author(s): Aseem Kumar Chatterjee
Publisher: Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers Pvt Ltd

Page 62

36
A COMPREHENSIVE HISTORY OF JAINISM
gives us some idea about the history of the spread of Jainism in different parts of India. A particular passage28 of the Byhatkalpa, a Chedasūtra text, attention to which has already been drawn by previous scholars, seems to indicate the extent of the spread of Jainism at the time of its composition (c. 350 BC). We are told in this passage that a Jaina monk must not go beyond Anga-Magadha in the east, Kaušāmbi in the south, Kuņāla (N. Kosala) in the north and Thuņā (Thaneswar) in the west. This passage was in all probability composed before the creation of the sākhās mentioned in the Theravali. The BỊhatkalpa may not be a very old text, but the passage in question probably preserves a much older tradition.
In 1912 a stone inscription was discovered by Pandit G.H. Ojha from a place called Badali in Ajmer district, Rajasthan,29 which, according to that celebrated palaeographist, contains the words 'eighty-four' and 'Vīra'. Pandit Ojha argues that the palaeography of this inscription is older than those of Asoka and that is why he feels that it relates to the year 84 of the Vira Nirvana era. In that case the inscription should be regarded to date 400 BC. Some orthodox Jaina scholars have therefore jumped to the conclusion that Jainism was introduced in Rajasthan before 400 BC. Ojha further remarks30 that his view regarding the inscription has the support of MM. S.C. Vidyabhusana. D.C. Sircar, another noted epigraphist, however, assigns the inscription to the close of the second century BC, although he does not offer any argument in favour of such a late date for this inscription. I have very carefully examined the letters of this inscription and strongly believe that its palaeography cannot be later than that of the inscriptions of Asoka. Sircar's attempt at explaining caturasiti as meaning '84 villages' is, to say the least, ludicrous. But even then we cannot wholly accept Ojha's view regarding the terms 'Vira' and '84', the truth is that there is no pre-Christian record of the Vīra Nirvana era. If therefore the tradition recorded in the Therāvalī is of any value, then we have to accept that Jainism was introduced in Rajasthan only after 250 BC, but this is a view open to revision until more positive evidences become available.
We do not know much about the religious leaning of the Nandas, but the Jainas claim that the first Mauryan emperor Chandragupta embraced their religion during the closing years of his life. Chandragupta's name is absent in all early Svetāmbara canonical and non-canonical texts, and it is only in some bhāsya and cūrņi texts, 32 written after the Gupta period that he is mentioned by name.