Jainism Some Essays

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

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Jainism
became the special name of Gautama. The term Buddha, though used as an epithet in early days for Mahavira, does not denote him in later period. The terms, Vira and Mahavira were common for a heroic person, but we see that they have become the real names of Lord Vardhamana; thus in course of time the original name Vardhamana was thrown in background giving place to the terms Vira and Mahavira. The terms Jina and Arhta were common for all the leaders of Śramanas and we see that the word Jaina was not the property of the followers of Lord Mahavira alone. It should be noted that the followers of Buddha were known for a long time as Jainas, but now the case is not so and only the followers of Mahavira are denoted by the word. Same is the case with the term Tathāgata, and we now see that only lord Buddha is denoted by it.
In this way the denotation of these words, though broad in early days, has become limited in course of time. In this context I shall try here to collect the various epithets given to Lord Mahavira in the earlier canonical literature of the Jainas.
Acaranga, Part I: As an ascetic
The first part of the Acaranga can be sub-divided in two sections. The chapters in the beginning giving the gist of the preaching is the first section and the last chapter, depicting the ascetic life of Lord Mahavira, is the second section. Let us now see the epithets used in them for Lord Mahavira.
In his mendicant life Mahavira calls himself a 'Bhikku' (9. 2. 12). He is also called 'Nayaputta' (9. 1. 10.) and Nayasuya indicating his clan, but both of these terms have become his names also.
He is sometimes given an epithet 'Muni' which is generally used for an ordinary ascetic or monk.
That even the Śramaņas were using the term 'Mahaṇa' (Brāhmaṇa) for their respected persons is well-known from the Dhommapada of the Pali canon as well as from the Uttaradhyayana of the Jaina canon. So it is but natural that Mahaṇa be used as one of the epithets of Mahāvira (9. 1. 23; 9. 2. 16; 9. 3. 14; 9. 4. 1; 9. 2. 10; 9. 4. 3.). He is also called Nāņi (9. 1. 10) and Mehāvi (9. 1. 16) which fact indicates that he was not only a person of good character but was endowed with knowledge also. He is again and again given the epithet Mahavira' (9. 1. 13; 9. 3. 8; 9. 4. 14; 9 2.1; 9. 3. 13) for his valour shown with regard to his ascetic life. And we see that it has become his real name. He is respectfully called Samana Bhagavam (9. 1. 1.) and the terms Bhagavam, Bhagavante, Bhagavaya occur so often that we can easily surmise that during the period he had become a highly