Jaina Philosophy Historical Outline

Author(s): Narendra Nath Bhattacharya
Publisher: Munshiram Manoharlal Publisher's Pvt Ltd New Delhi

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70 Jain Philosophy in Historical Outline
what is not given, who breaks the houses, who commits dacoity, or robbery, or highway robbery, or adultery, or who speaks lies, to him thus acting there is no guilt. If with a discus with an edge sharp as a razor he should make all the living creatures on the earth one heap, one mass of flesh, then would be no guilt thence resulting, no increase of guilt would ensue. Were he to go along the south bank of the Ganges striking and slaying, mutilating and having men mutilated, oppressing and having men oppressed, there would be no guilt thence resulting, no increase of guilt would ensue. Were he to go along the north bank of the Ganges giving alms, and ordering gifts to be given, offering sacrifices or causing them to be offered, there would be no merit thence resulting, no increase of merit. In generosity, in selfmastery, in control of the senses, in speaking truth, there is neither merit nor increase of merit."
Who was this Pūrana Kassapa? The Buddhist records speak of him as a contemporary of the Buddha, an old experienced and venerable teacher, the head of a religious order, the founder of a school having a large following of disciples. In the Samaññaphala-sutta he is referred to also as a contemporary of king Ajātaśatru of Magadha.? According to Buddhaghoşa, Pūraņa was formerly a slave, the hundredth in the household of his master which accounts for his epithet Pūraņa, who ran away from his master's house. In his flight his garments were stolen by the thieves and hence he used to travel naked. Such irresponsible comments are not worthy of serious consideration.
Other incidents of his life, as we have them in the Buddhist texts, are also coloured by prejudiced outlook. In the Buddhist Mahāvastu5 his meeting with the Buddha is mentioned along with the fact that the people had little regard for him. In the Jain Bhagavati Sūtra6 he has been described as a foolish ascetic. Pūraņa committed suicide. He drowned himself near Srāvasti. The Buddhist texts describe this event contemptuously with a deliberate purpose to blacken his character.
Fragments of the doctrines of Pūraņa which may be gleaned from
IRhys Davids, DB, 1, pp. 69-70. 2 Digha, I. 47.
*In the Milinda-pañho, he has been referred to, in accordance with the subject matter of the text itself, as a contemporary of king Milinda, but it has no historical basis.
Sum. Vil., I, pp. 142ff. Ed. Senart, II, p. 207. III, 141.