Jainas in History of Indian Literature

Author(s): Jinvijay
Publisher: ZZZ Unknown

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JAINAS IN INDIAN LITERATURE
§4) Close connection between Jain Literature and Post-vedic Literature established
Many pieces of this ascetic poetry are to be found in the Mahabharata, especially in its XIIth, book. One of these, for instance, is the beautiful Itihasa-Samvada of Jājali and Tulādhāra (Mahabharata XII 261-264), where the shopkeeper of Benares Tuladhāra teaches the Brāhmaṇa Jajali "the eternal religion of love"
......... धर्मं सरहस्यं सनातनम् । adyafká ký qů á að fag: 11
I mention also the fable of the Hunter and the Pigeons (Mahabh. XII, 143-149), the legend of Mudgala (Mahabh. III, 260 f.); the Vidurahitavakya (Mahābh. V. 23-40) and other sections of the Mahabharata in which Vidura, who is of doubtful birth1 propounds lessons of morality which are far more in accordance with Jaina or Buddhist than with Brahmaṇic ethics. These and many other passages found in the Mahabharata and in the Purāņas might just as well have their place in any of the Jaina or Buddhist canonical books. In many cases verses and Itihasa-Samvadas of the Mahābhārata have actually been traced in Pāli Gāthās, and some ItihasaSamvadas the Mahabharata has in common with Buddhist or Jaina books or with both. A very remarkable example of the latter is in the fine dialogue between a father and his son in the Mahabharata XII, 175 (repeated XII, 277), which occurs also-with variants-in the MärkandeyaPurāṇa Xff., in the Buddhist Jātaka (Nr. 509 in
1 He says himself in Mbhär. V. 40, 5:
ana; 1