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Satya Ranjan Banerjee : Jain Society in the ReignofJain Kings
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their ages, had renounced their kingdoms, because of the impermanent nature of life, leaving aside the kingdoms to their sons and grandsons. As the history of these Tīrthankaras is not clear to us, we do not know their contributions as social reformers.
During the Late Vedic period (1000 B.C. - 600 B.C., i.e., from the periods of the Brāhmaṇas, Aranyakas and Upanişads), there came there Tīrthankaras - Ariştanemi (1000 B.C.), Pārsvanātha (817 B.C.) and Mahāvīra (599 B.C. - 527 B.C.). The social and political conditions of India in those days were not congenial to the Jains, as Jainism was still in a state of flux. Practically, we do not know anything about Aristanemi, the twentysecond Tirthankara, except the fact that he was a relative to Kṛṣṇa who is considered a historical person, and so also Aristanemi. The social and political conditions of India at that time are not known to us, except the fact that India was greenery.
Though the history of Pārsvanātha is very blurred, we can say that Pārsvanātha was the real reformer of Jainism. From the appendix to the Kalpasūtra we come to know that out of five Mahāvratas, Pārsvanātha introduced the four vratas, except the aparigrahas. He also, like Rsabha, gave emphasis on agriculture.
In the Age of Imperial Unity (7th cent. B.C. - 320 A.D.) the real history of Jainism actually started in the 6th century B.C. at the time of Mahāvīra (599 - 527 B.C.) who gave a final shape to the doctrines of Jainism. Mahāvīra's father Siddhārtha was a ruler and the condition of India was very much luxuriant in those days. From the data of the Upāsakadasāsūtra where the life style of ten laitys (Srāvakas) are described, we come to know that people used to keep lots of cows and other animals and a large quantity of gold in the houses and they used to lead a luxurious life.
From the Jain canonical literature, we also come to know some references from which we infer the idea of educational notion among the Jains. The Jains think that education should start at home in a family. The infants at the proper age should start learning.correct speech at home. In the Upāsakudasāsūtra it is stated that the sādhus (monks) should be engaged in daily studies. It is said that besides begging alms and other duties the monks should spend three hours dæity for their studies. In the Antakrddaśā and Anuttaropapātika it is said that “Goyama received his first training in speech at home under
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