Jain Journal 1984 01

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

Page 36

JANUARY, 1984
109
venerated and worshipped by the Jainas. We could see the images of these Hindu deities in some of the Jaina temples in India. In the Konaraka Hindu temple, Orissa, the images of Tirthankaras are worshipped along with Hindu gods. Parabrahma is the impersonal Supreme Self, the Paramātmā of Hindu philosophy, the All-powerful and Selfilluminating and All-knowing God and the Jivātmā is the Eternal Soul of Jaina philosophy endowed with all the natural qualities of Parabrahma but encircled and entangled within the karmic atoms of human beings until it is emancipated from such karmic atoms and attains its original state of self-illumination, eternal bliss and peace, the supreme stage of nirvāna from the continued cycles of worldly life. The ultimate goal of Jainism and Hinduism is one and the same called nirvana or mokşa from the entanglements of worldly life and sufferings. Therefore, the benedictory verse of Aryabhațiyam has proved that Aryabhata was a non-absolutist Jaina philospher and that he was not an absolutist nonJaina philosopher.
The only literary evidence from Sanskrit about the birth place of Aryabhata although it is ambiguous or indirect is from one Kellalur Nilakanta Somayaji, who lived in A.D. 1500. There is also another person called Puthumana Somayaji, A.D. 1431, who are commentators of Aryabhatiyam. Both these commentators are mentioned in the History of Philosophy edited by Dr. S. Radhakrishnan. But the birthplace and religious faith of these two Somayajis are not given by the Editor. My investigations have proved that both these persons are Nambudiri Brahmins of Kerala. I even doubted whether both are identical persons. But it is not a correct view. A Somayaji is a Nambudiri Brahmin who performs somayajñas, yajñas and other rituals to propitiate the Vedic gods, who numbered thirtytwo, according to the Vedas. There are a number of Somayaji Nambudiri families in Kerala the hereditary descendants of the ancient Somayaji Nambudiri Brahmins. But no such yajñas with animal sacrifices are performed in these days. Today, the Nambudiris are highly educated and formed a progressive community of Kerala.
Kellalur Nilakanta Somayaji has stated asmaka janapadajāta aryabhatācārya which means that Aryabhata was born in the inhabited locality below a hill or rock called Kallil. In old Tamil and also in modern Malayalam Asmaka is Kallu or stone indicating a hill or rock and it is definite and trustworthy what Nilkanta indicated was the rockcut natural Jain cave temple at Kallil or on the hill. This view is supported by traditions current among the people.