Jaina Political Thought

Author(s): G C Pandey
Publisher: Prakrit Bharti Academy

Page 53

priests and the rajanyas were the companions or counts. Apart from these specially distinguished as such in the system which Rsabha is said to have instituted the rest were Ksattriyas.
For the early Jaina view social leadership rests squarely with the Ksattriyas. Not only are they the ruling class, the highest spiritual leaders must also come from within them.although such leaders must renounce the world. The social and spiritual leadership of the Brahmanas is thus replaced by that of the Ksattriyas, although the separation of temporal and spiritual offices is still maintained. In early Buddhist literature we find the same expression of a pro-Ksattriya outlook. This tradition may be traced partly to the emergence of a Ksattriya tradition of wisdom in the later Vedic age and partly to the ethos of the Ksattriya clans or republics which flourished in the Janapada age. The Upanisads tell us of Ksattriya rulers who not only patronized philosophers but were themselves reputed savants. Janaka of Videha, Ajatasatru of Kasi, Pravahana Jaivali of Pancala, Asvapati of Kekaya, are some of the celebrated names. The name of Krsna Deva kiputra occurs as that of a seeker if not as that of a teacher. It has been suggested that his teacher Ghora Angirasa may have been identical with a celebrated figure in Jaina tradition with a different name, The interest of Ksattriya rulers and republics in philosophy continued in the age of Buddha and Mahavira. Bimbisara and Ajatasatru, Prasenajit and Udayana, even the materialist Paesi evinced as keen an interest in the wandering philosophers of the age as the Sakyas, the Mallas, and the Licchavis. The Buddhist Samannapala suttanta and the Jaina Suyagadamga present glowing evidence of the interaction between philosophers and the aristocracy of the age. One is reminded of Athens in the 5th century B.C. and even of Western Europe in the 18th century. Pravahakna Jaivali speaks of a wisdom which was exclusively Ksattriya. This was the Pancagni-vidya which linked life, death and after-life in one continuous round of natural sacrifice. Here the Sramanic doctrine of reincarnation is found joined to the Brahmanical doctrine of sacrifice and at the same time teaching a Yoga which came down to him as a Ksattriya tradition-rajarsi parampara. This Yoga is karma-yoga which transforms the whole of life into a continuous sacrifice or worship. Janaka of Videha, the patron of Yajnavalkaya, was reputed as a rajarsi or karmayogin. In the Santi parvan we find Janaka in contact with the Sramanic Sankhya school. Jaina tradition, elaborated in their Puranas, speaks of Jaina royal sages of antiquity who were just and wise and elightened. Krsna is counted one of these and placed in the class of Vasudevas. In the Buddhist evidence, again, we find Buddha claiming descent from the Iksvakus and we are
40