Jainism Some Essays

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

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Jainism
worship as God. In the Śramana sect, the Tirthankaras belonegd to the caste of the Ksatriyas and Rama and Kṛṣṇa also who are worshipped as incarnations were of the same class. The word incarnation' is applied to him who is already a freed soul and therefore, he has nothing to strive after for his spiritual rise and growth and it has not been considered essential also. This differentiates the Śramanic Tirthankaras from the incarnations. The effort for realization which is seen in the lives of the Tirthankaras is not visible in those of Rama and Kṛṣṇa. Of course, Śiva or Sankara as he is also called did attempt for the soul's elevation in his life. But Siva is not a vedic God. He has been included in the category of Gods because the Vaidicas counted him as powerful. Kṛṣṇa also seems to be antagonistic to the Vedas because he uplifted the mountain, Govard dhana, in order to save the people from the harassments of Indra who occupies the highest position amongst the Vedic Gods. This is a pointer to the not altogether-friendly relationship between Kṛṣṇa and Indra. Kṛṣṇa would have put forth a fair amount of endeavour to root out the Vedic Gods such as Indra and others from the minds of people. The Vaidicas conferred the title of God through the theory of incarnation on such ordinary human beings as became the objects of veneration in the society at large. This inevitably resulted in the fact that they gradually ceased to be so in the masses. Rama's contribution is by no means small in stabilizing social boundaries and limitations and therefore, it is not surprising at all if he is elevated to the status of God by the people. Similarly, the part played by Krsna in politics, according to the Mahabharata, entitled him to a leadership in his times. He also in course of times earned the title of God. His followers and devotees have never given a quarter to the thought that he ought to have striven and struggled for self-realization leaving the world for good.
Exactly reverse position prevails as regards the Śramana's Tirthankara and Buddha. They are not principally believed to be incarnations. But when an ordinary human being raising the level of his life reaches the peak of perfection, that is to say, attains the state of the detached, he is worshipped as an ideal human being and when such a detached personage makes attempts for the welfare of the society at large, he becomes reputed amongst people as a Tirthankara or Buddha. In this phenomenon, it is not God that descends on earth but it is the human being who raises his level in order to reach the status of God. Such uplifted beings who work for the good of the people in the world are revered as Tirthankaras in Jainism and it is they who are called the founding fathers of Jainism. They are twenty four in number but it is only in relation to the aeon in which we live at present. Such infinite cycles of twenty four Tirthankaras have come and gone in the past and will come and go in future also. This sectarian belief has at least that much grain