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11
THE RELEVANCE OF TEACHINGS OF
LORD MAHAVIRA
Introduction:
Like any great religion, Jainism has its evolution and developed its various concepts, rituals, ethical codes and philosophy. Though, in modern times, less popular amongst the western scholars, Jainism has always, “exerted abiding influence not only on the minds of its devotees and admirers but also on their creations, thoughts, and ideas expressed through administration, art (including iconography), literature (in addition to canonical or other religious texts) and sciences (including pseudo - scientific ideas and practices)”l. Prof. S. N. Dasgupta says "The Jain literature was written in Prakrit and from its general trend one would regard it as a sort of folk philosophy interested in overcoming the moral aspects without any theistic bias. The folk philosophy had however elements in it which in the hands of later writers were connected into logical doctrines remarkable for their originality, acuteness and subtlety”? Jainism has been wrongly understood as a revolt against Vedas.
It is far from true and it is necessary to recognize that “neither Jainism nor Buddhism was a 'reaction' to the religion of Vedas, but both emerged and existed in their own rights”3
It will also be wrong to state that Mahavira was the founder of Jainism. According to Jain tradition there are 24 Tirthankaras and Lord Mahavira was the last of them all. “Bihar is the cradle of
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