Jainism Some Essays

Author(s): A S Gopani
Publisher: Prakrit Bharti Academy

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Jainism
the then prevailing beliefs and in order to inject the element of authority into them, tney have invoked the help of the prestigious Vedas. Besides Śrutis and Smslis, the conduct of the distinguished people was also accepted as a standard. This meant that rules of ideal conduct observed by the distinguished people served as a beacon light to the followers in point of good conduct, even though they were not backed by both--the Srutis and Smptis. Puiānas also were the additional source for their code of conduet. The stories occurring in the Purāņas guided them regarding what they should do and what they should not do. Thus the Purānas supplied them with information about the ideal conduct. Despite all this, whenever they were in a fix about what should be the standard conduct in a particular matter, they were guided by a decision in that particular matter arrived at in a Vadic or religious conference. Thus, there were many sources which guided them in point of model conduct but the Vedas were the principal source. Even when a definite mention about a particular point was not there in the Vedas, it was believed that it should not go contrary to what was implicit in the Vedas. Suppose, if a moral conduct seemingly went against the Vedas, it was anyhow so construed that it appeared as if it confirmed to them. So the prime source of the whole code of conduct is the Vedas, and that which goes agaist the Vedas can never stimulate religiousity or can never be a religion. Thus the Vedas are an authority for the Vaidikas in point of general conduct.
But it is a great mistake if one thinks that the moral code which the Hindu society at present has adopted as a basis is the same which was current in the days of the Vedas. But the situation is this that the law-givers and codifiers have supported the contemporary and also modified rules of conduct; not only this but they have, on the contrary, rejected some Vedic law of conduct though they were enjoined in the Vedas on the ground that they were not practicable in the Kali age and substituted the rejected rules by the contemporary and modified rules of behaviour. Despite this, one thing is clear then an attempt even than is made to emphasize that the modified moral code is one that has the backing of the Vedas. This leads us to say that for them, the exclusive original source of all the rules of conduct is the Vedas and because of this they are for them final and imperative. In short, they trace the origin of the whole ethical code to the Vedas, though there may not be anything of the sort according to us. It can be summed up that transformation in tune with time has always occurred beginning from the Vedic times till today. The erudite and the elan have made use of their scholarship in proving that the modification had all the sanction of the Vedas. But the matter as it stands is different because very little support is derivable from the Vedas for the current deep-rooted ethical code. What