Jain Journal 1998 07

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

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JAIN JOURNAL : Vol-XXXIII, No. 1 July 1998 The Buddhist literature mentions some Niganthas who were the followers of Pārsva. These include Vappā??, Upāli18, Abhaya19, Aggivesayana Saccāka20, Dīgha Tapassi21, Aśibandhakaputra gāmini22, Deva Ninka23, Upalikka24, and Sihā.25
Not only men but lay women also joined Pārsva's order as he had allowed women to enter his order. The Nayadhammakahāo26 says that Kāli, an old maiden, joined Pārsva's order and was entrusted to Pupphachāla, the head of the nuns. Two sisters of Uppala joined the order of Pārsva, but being unable to lead the rigid life of the order, they became Brāhmin parivrājikās.27 Vijaya and Pagabbha, two female disciples of Pārsva saved Mahāvīra and Gośāla in Coorg Sannivesa.28 The Jātaka literature also mentions several lay women as followers of Pārsva and among them are Saccā, Lohā, Avandika and Padacāra etc.29
D
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Pārsva's influence not only remained within the areas of this land, but it reached even in the far areas of Central Asia 30 and Greece. 31 Scholars have proved that the ancient city of Kasita (Caspia) appears to have been named after Kāśyapa, the gotra name of Pārsva. The Greeks of the 4th century B.C. and the Chinese pilgrims of the 6th7th centuries A.D. noticed the existence of the Nirgrantha Śramanas in that region. Hence it has reasonably been inferred that Jainism
s prevalent in places like Caspia, Aman, Samarkand and Balkha32 and the credit would certainly go to Pārsva.
Pārsva attained nirvāṇa at Sammedaśikhara (Pārsvanātha hill)33 and that's why it became a centre of Jain faith.34 Pārsvanātha preached
17. Anguttara-nikāya, II, 196 ff. 18. Majjhima-nikaya, I, 371 ff. 19. Ibid. 392 ff. 20. Ibid. 237 ff; Majjhima Nikaya Atthakatha, I, 450. 21. Ibid., 237 ff. 22. Sangutta-nikāga, V, 312 ff. 23. Ninkha is a deva who visited Buddha and uttered a verse in praise of
Nigantha Nataputta. 24. Mahāvagga. 25. Samyutta-nikāga, 1. 65 ff. 26. Naya, II, I, pp. 22 ff. 27. Women wanderers. 28. Jataka, III, t. 29. Ibid. 30. cf. J.W. McCrindle's Ancient India. 31. Beal's Siyuti, I, p. 55. 32. Cf. Jain Gazette, August 1906, p. 13, 33. Kalpasūtra, 186, (SBE, XXII, p. 275). 34. Pārsvanātha Hill is in Hazaribagha of Bihār.