Jainism a Theistic Philosophy

Author(s): Krishna A Gosavi
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith

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JAINISM: A THEISTIC PHILOSOPHY "GOD IN JAINISM"
The general tendency of scholars has been in favor of theory that the Indus Valley people were of Dravidian stock, which according to the Jaina tradition was devout followers of Śramaṇa religion as preached by Lord Rṣabha. Dravidians are considered as vratyas along with Licchavis, Jñātṛs, etc. by Manu. Also asuras were the followers of Jainism. The Brāhmaṇas say that the asuras were progeny, descendant of Prajapati, (who was no other than Lord Rṣabha) were hostile to Vedic Aryans."
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Sir John Marshal rightly observes, "A comparison of Indus Valley and Vedic culture shows incontestably that they were unrelated. The Vedic religion is normally believed to be uniconic. At Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa iconism is everywhere apparent.' Jainas are the first Indian people who adopted iconism in their religion worship of Tirthankaras.
T.N. Ramchandran, Former Jt. Director General of Indian Archaeology, after studying this question of figures in Indus valley civilization, independently have declared that, "We are perhaps recognizing in Hrappa statuette a full-fledged Jaina Tīrthankara in the characteristic pose of physical abandon (kāyotsarga). The statuette under description is therefore, a splendid representative specimen of this thought of Jainism at perhaps it's very inception."
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Dr. Zimmerman strongly supports this antiquity of Jaina tradition and says, "There is truth in the Jaina idea that their religion goes back to remote antiquity, the antiquity in question being that of the pre-Aryan.'
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Although in the words of Prof. Humayun Kabir, "There have been scholars who doubts whether Mohenjo-Daro represents preAryan culture at all. They believe that India was original home of
23V. G. Nair, "Indus Valley Civilization, Jainthology, Calcutta, 1972, P-20 24Dr. Jyoti Prasad Jain, “Jainism, the Oldest Living Religion,P-47
25V. G. Nair," The Indus Valley Civilization and Rṣabha", Jainthology, April, 1972, P-21 26Dr. Vilas Sangave, "Aspect of Jaina Religion", P-25