ISJS Jainism Study Notes E5 Vol 04

Author(s): International School for Jain Studies
Publisher: International School for Jain Studies

Page 151

1.4.b
Mahāvīra, Prākṛta and the Āgamas (Language of the Jaina gamas) Dr. Kamal Chand Sogani
It is incontrovertible that the 6th Century B.C. witnessed the rise of the 24th Trtha kara, Mah vra who played a dominant role in shaping the cultural history of India. Owing to the magnetic personality of Mah vra and his metaphysical, ethical and spiritual teachings, number of kings, queens, princes, princesses, ministers and merchants accepted him as their teacher. Thus males and females of all castes and classes became the ardent followers of Mah vra and a fourfold order of S dhus (male ascetics), S dhvis (female ascetics), r vakas (male householders) and r vik s (female householders) came into existence. He revolted against the socio-religious exploitation and oppression of man and introduced vigorous innovations in the then existing social law and order. In fact, he serves as an illustration both of spiritual realization and social reconstruction.
VERSAC
Mah v ra was born on the 27th March 598 BC at Kṣatriya Ku dagr ma (Ku dalapura) now known as Vasuku da or V suku da about 50 KM. to the North of Patna. Along with the birth of Mah vra prosperity increased, so King Siddh ratha and queen Tri al call their son, Vardham na. Because of controlling and pacifying and a muck elephant, the people of Ku dalapura addressed him by the name "Ativ ra'. By seeing the poisonous cobra, Vardham na fearlessly played with it so the Sa gama deva who assumed the form of a cobra, bestowed on him the honour of being "Mah vra". In the Buddhist text, he is referred to as the Niggantha Nāṭaputta.
Gradually Mah vra attainted adulthood. In spite of this, worldly pleasures did not attract him. In consequence he decided to lead a life of asceticism. After receiving the consent of his parents, he relinquished all mundane pleasures so as to attain Siddhahood and in consequence he assumed complete nudity and become a Nirgra tha. This is known as Mah vra's Abhinişkrama, that is, the great Renunciation of Mah vra. This renunciation took place on Monday the 29th December 569 B.C. at the age of 30 and from that time Mah vra moved as a Nirgra tha Muni i.e. a naked ascetic.
Since Mah v ra regarded meditation (Dhy na) as the clear and single road by which the aspirant can move straight to the supreme good, he selected isolated and lonely places such as forest, cremation ground, caves, and mountain tops for performing Dhy na (meditation). He endured with the greatest equanimity all sorts of abuses, tortures inflicted on him by vicious persons. He meditated day and night, undisturbed and unperturbed and at last under the Sāla tree on the banks of the river Ṛjukūlā outside the town, Jrmbhik, he attained supreme knowledge known as Kevalajn na and became Arhant on Sunday the 26th April 557 B.C. at the age of 42 years.
After the attainment of omniscience (Kevalajn na), Mah vra remained silent and did not deliver, according to Digambara tradition, any sermon for sixty-six days. At the advent of a renowned Vedic scholar, named Indrabh ti Gautama in the Samavasara a (religious assembly) Mah vra delivered his first sermon at the Vipul cala Mountain outside the city of R jagrha, the capital of Magadha, on Saturday the 1st July 557 B.C. This day is celebrated as the V ra sana day and Mah v ra designated Indrabh ti Gautama as his first Ga adhara (chief disciple). Along with Indrabh ti Gautama his five hundred pupils joined the order of Mah vra. Gradually Mah vra initiated more Vedic scholars into the ascetic order. It is of capital importance to note that Mah vra made use of Pr kṛta for his discourses, as a result of which the Ga adharas prepared the whole canonical literature in Prākṛta.
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Now the question is why did Mah vra deliver his first sermon only at the advent of a Vedic scholar? My interpretation of the event is: Vedic scholar is a Prākṛta scholar, since the Vedas have been composed in loka Bhāṣ (language of the masses) of that period. Pt. Kisoridasa Vajapaye tells us that the language of the Vedas is the first form of Prākṛta, though this underwent change in form in course of time and became the second stage of Prākṛta at the time of Mah vra. This second stage was prevalent in a very large area and Mah v ra's discourses were meant for all without any distinction of caste and creed, classes and masses, so he chose Prākṛta for his deliverances. I have no hesitation to say that the mother tongue of even Panini was Prākṛta. Since the eleven Ga adharas including Indrabh ti Gautama were Vedic scholars, they were well-versed in Pr kṛta language.
STUDY NOTES version 4.0