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JAIN JOURNAL : Vol-XXXII, No. 3 January 1998
followers of each met one another, discussed knotty problems of religion and philosophy, and disputed over doctrines and customs of their religions. Many followers were such that some of them even though were followers of Buddha became the followers of Mahāvīra and vice versa. The followers of the two organisers were like neighbours or like a closely knit family and in spite of this were holding opposite views. (Cf. Upāsaka-dasānga Adh. 8 etc).
Western scholars like Rhys Davids, Mrs Rhys Davids, Pischel, Koppen, Jacobi. Hermann Oldenberg. Burnouf, de la Vallee Poussin, Grunwedel etc. and among Indian scholars to name a few are Dr. B.C. Law, Rahula Sankrtyayan, Prof. Bhagavat, etc. zealously studied Buddhism and scholars like Rhys Davids, established in London "The Pāli Text Society." in 1881. Similarly in 1899 "The Mahabodhi Society" was established in Colombo, “Buddha Sāsana Samagama" was established in Rangoon in 1903, so also scholars like Hermann Jacobi, Leumann, Schrader, Hultzsch, Pertold, Charpentier, Winternitz, Bühler, Kielhorn. Lüders, Wackernagel, Walther Schubring, Otto Stein, Alsdorf, Glasenapp, Guerionot, de la Vallee Poussin, Stevenson, Weber, etc. studied Jainism; and among Indian scholars we can count Muni Shree Punyavijayji, Pandit Sukhalalji Sanghavi. Malavania, Prof. H.R. Kapadia, B.C. Law, Kamta Prasad Jain, Dr. P.L. Vaidya, Dr. A.N. Upadhye etc. are great students of Jainism. “Prakrit Text Society" is established for the furtherence of Jainism and the "Voice of Ahimsā" is rendering excellent service for spread of Jainism abroad. Foreigners like Miss Krause have embraced Jainism. The study of Jainism was first undertaken by Western scholars as early as 1807. A host of Jaina Munis has contributed their earnest might in the propaganda of Jainism. We can thus safely surmise that both the Western and the Eastern scholars have given themselves to the study of Jainism and Buddhism.
As the last organisers of Jainism and Buddhism Mahävīra belonged to the Jnātr sect and Buddha to the Sakya clan. Before their birth their mothers see auspicious dreams. The mother of Mahāvīra sees forteen dreams. Both are brought up and live quite royally before they become monks. Both go to the teacher for study, but both know more than what their teachers can teach, both marry Ksatriya girls. Buddha married earlier than Mahāvīra. Buddha had a son known as Rāhula, while Mahavira had a daughter named Priyadarśanā (according to one tradition) whose husband became antagonistic to Mahävira
1. Mahavira was born in 599 B. C and died in 527 B. C. 2. According to the Digambaras 16 dreams.
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