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DEVELOPMENT & IMPACT OF JAINISM ON TAMILNADU STATE OF INDIA
The survival of Jainism until recently in several areas in the deep South is a point to be remembered. Even now it is a practicing religion in Tanjavur, Kanchipuram and in South and North Arcot districts of Tamil Nadu. More can be said on the religious conversions, but the caste formation of the Jainas is much more interesting to social historians. The work or vocation forms the basis of castes which are seven in number. Vaisya, Kshatriya, Karmara etc., are mentioned in Jaina literature. Prakrit and the local languages were encouraged in the early phase of Jainism.
Their efforts to educate the commoners in schools called pallis and the importance given to women, at least in one sect of Jainism need to be noted as the special features of Jainism. The treatises on psychology, mathematics, cosmology etc., in which areas the contribution of the Jainas are more remarkable, perhaps necessitated for teaching to the commoners, the Jaina house-holders and beginners in ascetism in the Jaina faith.
The opinion that Jainas were against music, dance and drama, and the weakening of these arts in the medieval period is attributed to the Jaina's dislike towards them. But this opinion cannot be sustained because, distinguished musicians and dramatists like Megachandra have contributed substantially to these arts.
The Jaina works like Jivaka Cintamani, Perunkatai and Culamani of Tamil have heroes from North India. Since their poetic presentation is exquisite they earned a place of respect only among the Jainas in Tamil Nadu whereas, Cilappatikaram, a Chera Tamil epic, has heroes from the soil. The poetic presentation of that epic is marvelous. Hence it can stand comparison with the best of literature in the world.
Pushpdanta's Mahapurana says that before the time of King Nabhi, the father of Rsabha, there were wish-fulfilling trees (Kalpavrksas). People could get what they liked. But during the reign of King Nabhi, these Kalpavrksas disappeared. There was the first rainy season, but people did not know to collect grains etc., and so were starving. When this was the state of the people, Nabhi taught them to make earthen pots out of the temples of an elephant. He taught them to crush the grain with a pestle, to enkindle fire, and to cook. He explained them the method of drawing a thread out of the cotton and weaving cloth.
These are the most important inventions which characterize a civilization, and differentiate it form a period when man was no better than a forest or steppe animal, collecting fruits and roots from trees and living on hunting, if modern archaeology were to describe these stages of man's culture, it would call the era which Nabhi or his son Rsabha initiated as the Era of Agriculture; the one which preceded would be the Stone Age period.
The Kalpasutra tells us “During his reign (the reign of Nabhi), he taught for the benefit of the people, the two science of which writing is the first, the 64 accomplishments of women, the 100 arts and the three occupations of man" (Sacred Books of the East. Vol.22, p.282), Jacobi had tried to explain the statement as follows: "The arts, as those of the potter, blacksmith, painter, weavers and barber each of which five principal arts is subdivided into 20 branches, are inventions and must be taught; while the occupations, agriculture, trade etc., have everywhere developed, as it were, of themselves.
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