Jainism Some Essays

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

Page 96

Epithets of Lord Mahavira in
Early Jaina anons
There were many groups of the śramaņas, cach of them having a leader. This fact is proved sufficiently by the Pāli Pitakas. All such leaders are given the following common epithets in the Pāli canon
"संघी चेव, गणी च, गणाचरियो च, आतो, यसस्सी तित्थकरो, साधु सम्मतो बहुजनस्स, रस्त, चिरपब्बजितो, अद्धगतो, वयोमनुप्पत्तो" दीघनिकाय, सामञफलसुत्त ।
In addition to these common epithets in Pali canon Lord Mābavira, the leader of the group of Nigganthas, was further given such epithets as ; निगण्ठो, भावुसो नाटपुत्तो सब्ब सब्बदस्सावी, अपरिसेसं प्राणदस्सनं पटिजानाति, चरतो च मे तिट्टतो च सुत्तस्स च जागरस्स च सततं समितं आणदस्सनं पच्चुपट्ठितं ति"
-affa Fira, dacau.
In this paper I want to discuss the epithets of Lord Mahavira found in some of the texts of the Jain canonical literature. As these texts are not of the same time I shall take them one by one according to their chronological order. This procedure will help us to know as to how a cluster of epithets was developed in the course of time, as to how the final one was arrived at and as to how some of the common cpithets became the property of a particular group-leader. The discussion will also make it clear that the epithets given to Lord Mahavira in the Pāli Pitakas do not belong to the carly period of time. Again it will prove the Ācārãiga part I to be earlier than the Páli Pitakas. It will also be clear from the discussion that as time passed on some of these epithets acquired the status of names having lost their status of adjectives.
The epithets, viz. Arihanta, Arhat, Buddha, Jina, Vira, Mahavira and Tathāgata were not the sole property of a leader of a particular sect whether Brahmin or śramaqa. But it seems that they became popular amongst the Sramanic sects especially for Mabāvira, Gosāla and Buddha with the result that they were dropped by the Brahmin sects for their leaders. Similarly, the term Buddha (139, 177, 882, 204) was used for an intelligent person but after Gautama it became the sole property of Buddhism and