________________
RELIGION
..
:
279
try, especially in the west and south from the 6th century A. D. It maintained its sway even after, but the 7th and 8th centuries proved to be the most critical epoch in the history of Jainism. With the revival of Brāhmanism (Saivism and Vaišnavism ) under the Nāyānaras and the Alvaras during the later part of the 7th contury and after,1 a very grave situation arose for the followers of the Jaina faith. The tide of revival in favour of the saivite and Vaişņavite faiths began to shake the very foundation of Jainism. Saint Appar in Kāñcí area and Sambandhar in the Madurā region launched their crusades against the supporters of Jaina religion. Many a Jaina king was converted to Brāhmanism, and Jainism lost much of its prestige due to the aggressive spirit of the rivals. With the conversion of the Pallava king Mahendravarman 1. to Brāhmaṇism in the 7th century A. D., Jainism suffered the most severe blow. In this context P.B. Desai has observed : "Jaina law was challenged, Jaina philosophy was quetioned, Jaina religious practices were discredited every where, polemics were raised, disputations were held between the supporters of the rival creeds regarding their superiority, proofs were demanded and sometimes even ordeals and miracles were resorted to. The elated victors backed by the authority of the State indulged into violent activities. The vanquished were pursued and persecuted”.* The above account, even if exaggerated, must have been true in case of the puritanical kings, or at least it shows the disturbed state of affairs during these centuries, when both the religions were struggling hard to acquire supremacy and to propogate their religion amongst the kings and public by all possible means. Writing in such an atmosphere the commentator of the NC., who was commenting upon an early Jaina text so as to provide new rules of conduct for the Jaina monks in order to
1. Desai, P. B., Jainism in South India and Some Jaina Epigraphs, p. 21. 2. Ibid., p. 81. 3. Ibid. 4. Ibid , pp. 81–83.
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
