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An Introduction to Jainism
Many western scholars and others have written books and published articles in newspapers and magazines expressing the view that the Jain Dharma is a branch or development of some other religion; but now scholars and thinkers are free from this false notion; yet the history text books used in schools and colleges continue to encourage that false notion; but it is definitely not acceptable and has to be discarded. The truth has to be stated.
Evidence in support of the theory that Jain Dharma is an ancient religion :
The Jain Dharma existed even before the emergence of the Vedas and the Puranas which are said to be ancient. This point is proved by what is said in the following stanza.
"कैलासे पर्वते रम्ये, वृषभोऽयं जिनेश्वरः । चकार स्वावतारं यः सर्वज्ञः सर्वगः शिवः" ॥ १ ॥
(शिव पुराण)
Lord Rishabhdev Jineshwar the omniscient and the allpervasiva incarnated himself on the magnificent Kailas (Ashtapad Mountain).
"नामिस्तु जनयेत् पुत्र, मरुदेव्या मनोहरम् । ऋषभं क्षत्रियं श्रेष्ठं सर्वक्षत्रियस्य पूर्वजम् ॥ २॥ इह हि इक्ष्वाकुकुलवंशोभ्दवेन नामिसुतेन मरुदेवानंदनमहादेवेन ऋपण दशप्रकारो धर्मः स्वयमेवाचीर्णः केवलज्ञान लाभाच्चा प्रवर्तितः ॥ ३ ॥
(ब्रम्हाण्डपुराण)
Nabhiraja and Marudevi gave birth to a son named Rishabhdev, the greatest of Kshatriyas and the first ancestor of all Kshatriyas. Mahadev Rishabhdev was born to Nabhiraja and Marudevi, in the Ikshvaku dynasty; assumed the ten kinds of Dharma; and after attaining Kevaljnan (the supreme knowledge) disseminated it.
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