Jainism And Its History

Author(s): Sagarmal Jain
Publisher: Research Foundation for Jainology

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Chronologically, the concept of Tīrthankara came into existence between the third century BC and the first century AD. So far as the fully developed concept of twenty-four Tīrthankaras is concerned, the first complete list is found in the appendix of the Samavāyanga, and this was incorporated at the time of Valabhi Council, i.e. fifth century AD. In the Jaina Āgamas the first part of the Ācārānga, which is considered to be the oldest extant Jaina literature (fifth century BC), mentions only the ascetic life of Mahāvīra. The Sūtrakrtānga which describes some special features of Mahāvīra's life only hints at Pārsva's tradition. Rsibhāsita mentions Pārśva and Vardhamana (Mahāvīra) as Arhat Ķsi.
The second part of the Ācārānga describes, for the first time, Mahāvīra as a Tīrthankara and gives some details of his parents who were called Pārsvapatya. The Uttarādhyayana-sūtra clearly mentions some incidents in the lives of Tīrthankára as like Aristạnemi, Pārsva and Mahāvīra, whereas it indicates only the names of Rsabha, Santi, Kunthu and Ara. The ninth chapter of the Uttarādhyayana, Namipavajjā, elaborately describes some facts about Nami but it does not mention Nami as Tīrthankara. Even in the Kalpa-sūtra, there are some details about the life of Mahāvīra, Pārśva, Ariştanemi and Rsabha out of the twenty-four Tīrthankaras. Of the remaining Tīrthankaras, from the second to the twenty-first, all the names seem to have been incorporated in the list of Tīrthankaras later on in the fourth-fifth century AD?
In the Digambara tradition the earliest description about twenty-four Tīrthankaras is found for the first time in the Tiloyapanpati which is supposed to be composed after the fifth century AD. So far as iconographical evidences are concerned only the images of the four Tīrthankaras - Mahāvīra, Pārsva, Ariştanemi and Rsabha; are found from the third century BC to first century AD.
Jainism and its History