Jaina Karmaology

Author(s): N L Jain
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith

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accepted date of his salvation from 527 B.C. to 468 B.C. (i.e. 60 years later than assumed). Accordingly, the earliest date of the composition of this text will be sometimes after (683-468) 215 A.D. (i.e. in the third century A.D. in contrast to previously accepted 156 A.D.). Recently, Dhaky and Jain have suggested that the most probable date of the author of this text should be lying between early to late third century A.D. This date is in contrast with many earlier scholars advocating for the second century A.D. But it seems reasonably acceptable on many scores. The variable textual or tabletal lineages create an impression of their being hearsays and not of very reliable character catalysing for their critical examination to serve as reliable evidence.
This has been the period when most of the aphorismic texts of other systems had already been composed. This fact must have encouraged the scholarly Jaina seers like Umāsvāti to compose a Jaina text on similar lines. Secondly, this has been also the period when the ethical and philosophical concepts of the Jainas were under experimental and scrutinisation stage. There were differing and varied alternative opinions and most of the concepts were in colloidal state requiring logical crystallisation. The scholars point out that every thought and concept passes through a historical process of its development. Besides, this was also a period when the Nirgrantha (knot-less) church (this was the earlier name of Jaina Church) was undivided though schismic nucleation might have taken place much earlier. The author Umāsvāti must be given credit to have been born during such a critical period of Jaina Church to crystallise and systematise the Jaina pathways and establish scholarly excellence in tune with the times of the middle of the third century A.D.
The Aphorist Author
The spiritualist Jainas of pre- and early post-Christian era were mostly anonymous about their compositions. They adopted this tradition on many counts such as (i) extreme faith in the Jinas and their omniscience (ii) virtually tri-timal validity of their sermons of Jaina faith and (iii) compiler or faithful follower concept about their compositions for their credibility. That is why, there have always been discussions about their authorship and composition period. This has been a general trend even upto tenth century. Of course, some