Jain Journal 1974 04

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 62

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JAIN JOURNAL
the Kasyapa. The point is however so insignificant, that an error on the part of the Buddhists is easily possible.29 It is quite to be understood that perfect exactness is not to be expected among the Buddhists or any other sect in describing the person of a hated enemy. Enmity and scorn, always present, forbid that. The most that one can expect is that the majority and most important of the facts given may agree.
This condition is undoubtedly fulfilled in the case on hand. It cannot therefore be denied, that in spite of this difference, in spite also of the absurdity of one article of the creed ascribed to him, Vardhamana Jnatiputra, the founder of the Nirgrantha-or Jaina community is none other than Buddha's rival. From Buddhist accounts in their canonical works as well as in other books, it may be seen that this rival was a dangerous and influential one, and that even in Buddha's time his teaching had spread considerably. Their legends about conversions from other sects very often make mention of Nirgrantha sectarians, whom Buddha's teaching or that of his disciples had alienated from their faith. Also they say in their descriptions of other rivals of Buddha, that these, in order to gain esteem, copied the Nirgrantha and went unclothed, or that they were looked upon by the people as Nirgrantha holy ones, because they happened to have lost their clothes. Such expressions would be inexplicable if Vardhamana's community had not become of great importance. 30
This agrees with several remarks in the Buddhist chronicles, which assert the existence of the Jainas in different districts of India during the first century after Buddha's death. In the memoirs of the Chinese Buddhist and pilgrim Hiuen Tsiang, who visited India in the beginning of the seventh century of our era, is to be found an extract from the ancient annals of Magadha, which proves the existence of the Nirgrantha or Jainas in their original home from a very early time.31 This extract relates to be building of the great monastery at Nalanda, the high school of Buddhism in eastern India, which was founded shortly after Buddha's Nirvāṇa and mentions incidentaly that a Nirgrantha who was a great astrologer and prophet had prophesied the future success of the new building. At almost as early a period, the Mahavansa, composed in the fifth century A.D., fixes the appearance of the Nirgantha in the island
30
According to Jacobi's supposition, S.B.E., Vol. XXII, p. xvi, the error was caused, by the only disciple of Vardhanana, who outlived his master, Sudharman being an Agnivesyayana. See for the history of Siha related above, Spence Hardy, Manual of Buddhism, pp. 226, 266, and Jacobi, Ind. Ant., Vol. VIII, p. 161. Beal, Si-yu-ki, Vol. II, p. 168.
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