Jainism and Mahavira

Author(s): Bhagchandra Jain Bhaskar
Publisher: Digambar Jain Sahitya Sanskriti Sanskaran Samiti

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all-knowing (Sabbannu), all seeing (Sabbadassavi) and all embracing knowledge and vision (Aparisesamnanadassanam).68 This is the stage where all the karmas are totally removed. That is called Nirvana or Moksa.
Jainism is more known to us through Tirthankara Mahavira, the contemporary spiritual thinker of the Buddha. His prominent spiritual followers have written a vast literature in Prakrit and Sanskrit. There have been passing references in Pali literature to their contemporaniety and doctrinal dissimilarities as well as the role they played together as a revolutionary opposition to Vedic Brahmana. It may be mentioned here that both jainism and Buddhsim arose and grew up in the same province of India. The leaders of both sects were sometimes living in the same city, but they never meet perhaps personally. Their followers, however, used to indulge in discussions, conversations and debates.
Our analysis of Mahavira's or Nigantha Nataputta's teaching, religion, philosophy, psychology, spirituality, discipline, practices etc. is based on Pali literature and then supported by Prakrit and Sanskrit Jaina literature. All the references to Nigantha Nataputta have been dealt with in detail in my Ph.D. Thesis (Vidyodaya University of Ceylon) entitled " JAINISM IN BUDDHIST LITERA. TURE”, published by Alok Prakashan, Nagpur, India, 1972. My attempt has been there to evaluate the information contained therein and to find out the degree of accuracy and completeness with which the Buddhist literature has recorded various dogmas and teachings of Nigantha Nataputta. This attempt may help us to understand the earliest ideology of Mahavira and the Buddha on different issues and lead to have a comparative outlook there on.
62. Angutitaranikaya, ii. 46 : Milindapanho, iv. 2.5. Also see A..., 197 63. Samyuttaxikaya, iv., 298-99 : Majjhima nikaya, i. 498 FF. 64. M. i. 499. 65. Nyayaviniscayavivarana, 1087 66. Dravyasangraha, 23 67. A. i. 220 68. M. I. 529; ii, 31
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