Doctrine of Liberation in Indian Religion

Author(s): Shivkumarmuni
Publisher: Munshiram Manoharlal Publisher's Pvt Ltd New Delhi

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of the Jaina myths and legends. According to the belief of the Jainas, their religion is immensely old. They have preserved a list of as many as twenty-three Tirthankaras or Spiritual Teachers who preceded Mahavira. According to this view, Mahavira was not the originator of the Jaina faith, he was a discoverer of a docrine which had been existing from times immemorial. The list of the predecessors of Mahavira includes the following names:
4:
Abhinandana,
7. Supārśvanatha, 10. Śītalanatha, 13. Vimalanatha,
1. Rṣabhadeva or Adinatha, 2. Ajitanatha, 3. Sambhavanatha, 5. Sumatinatha, 8. Candraprabhu, 11. Śreyamśanatha, 14. Anantanatha, 17. Kunthunatha, 20. Muni Suvrata, 23. Pārsvanatha. 17
6. Padmaprabhu, 9. Suvidhinatha, 12. Väsupujya, 15. Dharmanatha, 18. Arahanatha, 21. Neminatha,
16. Śantinātha,
19. Mallinatha,
22. Ariṣṭaneminātha,
The twenty-fourth and the last Tirthankara was Mahāvīra, the celebrated contemporary of Sakyamuni Buddha.
It is not possible to establish the historical existence of most of these Teachers. But the belief in the existence of so many predecessors of Mahavira shows that the tradition claimed a great antiquity. Here one recalls the Buddhist belief in the existence of twenty-four Buddhas before Śakyamuni Buddha.18
THE DOCTRINE OF LIBERATION IN INDIAN RELIGIONS
Some scholars believe that Rṣabhadeva, the first in the list of Tīrthankaras, is mentioned in the Vedic texts. 19 Rṣabha is mentioned also in the Vişņu Purana and Bhagavata Purana.20 It is not certain
17.
18.
19.
For an account of 24 Jinas and other great men of Jaina tradition, see the Triş aş fisalaka-puruş acarita. See also Hermann Jacobi, "Jainism" in Encyclopeadia. of Religion and Ethics, vol. vii, pp. 466 ff. and the Kalpasütra of Bhadrabahu.
For details of 25 Buddhas in Theravada Buddhism, sec Buddha- Vamsa, in the Khuddakanikāya, vol. VII, pp. 319-380.
The names of these 25 Buddhas are as follows:
1. Dipankara, 2. Kondañña,
5. Revala,
Sobhita,
9. Nārada,
6. 10. 14. Atthadassi,
13. Piyadassi,
17. Tissa,
21.
Vessabhu,
25.
Gotama.
See Hira Lal Jain, Bharatiya Sanskriti mein Jaina Dharma kā Yogadāna, pp.
3. Mangala,
4. Sumana,
7. Anomadassi, 8. Paduma,
Padumuttara, 11. Sumedha, 12. Sujāta,
15. Dhammadassi, 16. Sidhattha, 18. Pussa, 19. Vipassi, 20. Sikhi, 22. Kakusandha, 23. Konagamana, 24. Kassapa,
342-343; A Source Book in Indian Philosophy, p. 250.
20. Višņu Purana, Eng. tr. by H.H. Wilson, p. 133; Bhagavata Purāṇa, v. 3-6.