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66
Early Jainism
may, these story-texts are most suited to impart to an elementary reader certain most fundamental points of the Jajna theoretical thought. Let us See how.
Ever since the days of Ācārānga I and Sutrakrtānga I the Jaina theo. rcticians had been emphasizing that a person leading the life of an ideal Jaina monk was bound to attain mokşa at the end of his present life, the corollary being that everyone else was bound to remain entangled in the cycle of rebirths. The idea that an ideal Jaina monk at the end of his present life would attain not moksa but rebirth in a heavenly region was not mooted in the beginning, for it must have been considered prep, osterous that an ideal Jaina monk at the end of his present life should attain anything short of mokşa. But in the course of time this idea was duly recognized and two post-mortem possibilities were granted to an ideal Jaina monk--viz. the attainment of moksa and rebirth in a heayenly region. As for the householder, he was since ever and for ever denied the possibility of attaining mokşa at the end of his present life; but in the course of time the idea was duly recognized that a person conducting his life according to the prescriptions laid down for a pious householder would be next born in a heavenly region. This whole scheme of thought as it finally evolved has been kept in mind while planning the composition of the storytexts under consideration. Thus Karmavipakadaśā (the old name for Vipäkaśruta I) elucidates how a person acting in an evil fashion in this life reaps an appropriate unhappy consequence in the next, Antak rddaśa
cidates how an ideal Jaina monk at the end of his present life attains moksa, Anultarau pa pätikadaśa elucidates how an ideal Jaina monk at the end of his present life is born in the uppermost heavenly region. Upasaka. daśa elucidates how a person conducting his life according to the prescriptions laid down for a pious householder is next born in a heavenly region. As has been noted, Antakrddaśa and Anuttaraupapatikadaśa contain very few independent stories. The point has already explained and is not much relevant for the present part of our discussion. For that matter, the last
ries of even Upāsakad aśā are a stereotyped repetition of the first and the likelihood is that they are a substitute-version of some lost original. Only this much can be said that our understanding of the matters under consideration would have been fu ler if we were in possession of the texts in question in their complete, original version. ] As compared to these four story-texts Jñatadharmakatha is different and rather miscellaneous in cbaracter; but things most essential for an understanding of its basic char. acier have already been said in an earlier context.
Just above, the Jaina story-texts under consideration were compared with the Brahmanical Epics and Purānas and the Buddhist Jätakas and
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