Jainism in Bihar

Author(s): P C Roy Choudhary
Publisher: P C Roy Choudhary Patna

Page 27

mistake he does not swallow a small insect. Not only they do not eat any kind of meat but they must not be instrumental in causing the death of even the smallest insect. This sort of extreme insistence on Ahinsa, naturally, has given the Jains a liberality of mind and a very broad outlook of universal piety. The Ahinsa that Jain philosophy speaks of has to be taken in a very broad seose. The idea could be summarised in the two following lines :
अप्रादुर्भावः खलु रागादीनां भवत्य हिंसेति ॥
तेषामेवोत्पत्ति हिंसेति जिनागमस्य संक्षेपः ॥१॥ The attitude of Jain creed towards caste and casteism is often misunderstood. Mabavira was born of royal blood and although in a way he supported casteism and recognised the status of the Tribarna, namely, Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya, he made it possible for men of other castes follow him according to their capacity. Jain Siddhanta recognises casteism and something like the priesthood being confined to the Tribarna. But the doors were also thrown open to the Sudras if they could follow according to their mental attainments. In a way this conception vitally affected Brahminism. The times in which Mabavira Vardhaman was born have to be remembered. At that time the Brahmins were practically ruling although the kings were non-Brahmins. The Brahmins at that time not only did no manual labour but took great care to give an inferior complex to manual labour. A very small percentage of the Brahmins took to learning while the mass of them were idlers. They had become the self-appointed guardian and interpreters of Sruti and Smriti (revelation and tradition). Ceremonials and Yagnas were carefully prescribed and lengthy codes of taboos were brought in, all to enhance the position and prestige of the Brahmins. Mahavira Vardhamana went a very great way in liquidating the prestige of Brahmins by declaring that the men of the two other castes other than the Brahmins namely
11