Indian Culture and Jainism

Author(s): Kamalchand Sogani
Publisher: Jain Vidya Samsthan

Page 10

unanimously record that India came to be styled as Bhārata after Bharata Cakravarti, a supreme ruler and a great victor, the son and successor of the mighty and enlightened paramount monarch and the first Jaina Tīrthankara Adinatha or Rṣabhanatha of the solar dynasty8," although certain scholars erroneously associate India's name as Bharata after Bharata, the son of Śakuntala and Dusyanta.
It may be noted here that attempts are being made to change tradition into history in the modern sense of the word. The historicity of Pārsva (877 B.C.) the 23rd Tīrthankara has been established.' The predecessor of Parsva is Ariṣtanemi (Neminātha) the first cousin of Lord Kṛṣṇa1o. The twenty first Tīrthankara Nami of Mithila in Videha seems to have given rise to the spiritualistic thought of the Upanisad."
Discourses of Mahāvīra in Prākṛta and his first sermon at the advent of a Vedic Brahmin Scholar: Mahāvīra (598 B.C.-527 B.C.) is the twenty-fourth Tīrthankara, who attained omniscience (Kevalajñāna). Mahāvīra remained silent and did not deliver, according to Digambara tradition, any sermon for sixty-six days. At the advent of a renowned Vedic, Brahmin scholar, named Indrabhūti Gautama in the Samavaşṣaraṇa (religious assembly) Mahāvīra delivered his first sermon at the Vipulacala mountain outside the city of Rajagṛha, the capital of Magadha, on Saturday the 1st July 557 B.C.12 This day is celebrated as the Vīraśāsana day and Indrabhūti Gautama was designated as the first Ganadhara (chief disciple) by Mahāvīra. Along with Indrabhūti Gautama his five hundred pupils joined the order of Mahāvīra. Gradually Mahāvīra initiated more Brahmin Vedic scholars into the ascetic order. It is of capital importance to note that Mahāvīra made use of Prakṛta for his discourses13, as a result of which the whole canonical literature in Prākṛta was prepared by the Gaṇadharas.
Now the question is why did Mahāvira deliver his first sermon only at the advent of a Vedic Brahmin scholar? My interpretation of the event
is Vedic scholar is a Prākṛta scholar, since the Vedas have been composed in Loka Bhāṣā (language of the masses) of that period. Pt. Kiśoridāsa Vājapaye 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. This second stage was prevalent in a very large area and Mahāvīra's discourses were meant for all without
Indian Culture and Jainism
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