Doctrine of Liberation in Indian Religion

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

Page 30

16
THE DOCTRINE OF LIBERATION IN INDIAN RELIGIONS
Jaina doctrines to his disciple Jambusvāmī,40 which he had heard from his master, Lord Mahāvīra.
According to the Jaina tradition, Jambusvāmī was the last omniscient sage and he attained liberation after sixty-four years of parinirvāna of Mahāvīra. After Jambusvāmī, the most remarkable among ancient Jaina religious leaders was Bhadrabāhu. Jaina tradition states that he was the guru of Emperor Candragupta Maurya. He was recog. nised as one of the carliest teachers and as a most prominent author among the Jainas. According to the Svetāmbara tradition, Bhadrabāhu had gone to Nepal for certain specific yogic practices, whereas the Digambara tradition states that he went to South India with a large number of Jaina monks for the propagation of Jaina ideals.
Like Buddhism, Jainism was espoused and patronized by great kings and queens, royal ministers and rich merchants. Many great kings such as Bimbisāra and Ajataśatru of Magadha, Cetaka of Vaiśāli. Pradyota of Avanti, Udayana of Vatsa, Dadhivāhana and Candragupta Maurya etc., contributed to the growth and development of Jaina order.41 Queens like Prabhāvati of Udayana, Mrgāvati and Jayanti of Kausambi, and queens of kings Srenika and Pradvota were also true followers of Lord Mahāvīra and they had joined the order (samgha) of Mahāvīra.42 Princes like Atimukta, Padma, Megha and Abhaya43 etc., became Jaina monks and promoted the growth of Jainism. It is also claimed that Candragupta Maurya became a Jaina monk and propagated Jainism as he himself joined Bhadrabāhu's march to the South as his follower.
King Samprati had contributed to the development of Jainism by erecting Jaina temples throughout India and by sending Jaina monks, preachers and missionaries to South India and Afghanistan. In the second century B.C., king Khāravela of Kalinga adopted Jainism and promoted it by setting up Jaina images and constructing rockdwellings.44
MAKKHALI GOSĀLA AND ĀJIVIKISM
Makkhali Gosāla also belonged to the Śramanic tradition; he was
40. As it appears from several Jaina canonical texts, Sud harmă says to Jambu
"suyam me ausar tena bhagavayā evam
akkhāyam etc. ...upto...evam khalu Jambu." 41. S.B. Dco, History of Jaina Monachism, p. 70. 42. Ibid., p. 70. 43. Ibid., p. 71. 44. M.L. Mehta, Jaina Culture, p. 17.