Jainism in Buddhist Literature

Author(s): Bhagchandra Jain Bhaskar
Publisher: Alok Prakashan

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Tirthai kara of the present era. He is believed to have taught seventy-two arts ( Badattarin kaldo ) to men and sixty-four to women. The beginnings of human civilization, thousands of acons ago, are associated with him. Antiquity of Jainism
Jainism is believed to be a pre-Vedic religion. Jainas are referred to in early Vedic literature by the name of Vratyass They are identified as the members of Śramaņa cultural sys tem which is led by Jainas. The Rgveda", the oldest scripture of the Hindus refers to Rşabha, perhaps Rşabhadeva, frequently. Besides, the Hindu Purānas"contain accounts of his life and these tally with Jaina accounts. As regards archaeological and epigraphical evidence, the Kayotsarga (dedication of body) Yoga pose of sitting and standing images engraved on the seals of Mohanjodro, Harappa and Lothal are identified by some scholars as Rsabha images. The Hathi gumphā inscription of king Khāravela refers to an image of Jaina which was taken away to Magadba by king Nanda. Similar evidence is found with regard to other Tirthankaras who, too, had been historical personages of immense reputation in philosophical and religious circles?.
The modern scholars appear to agree with the view that Jainism is the oldest of Non-Aryan group. For instance, Dr. Zimmer says: "There is truth in the Jaina idea, their religion goes back to remote antiquity, the antiquity in question being that of the Pre-Aryan, so-called Dravidian period, which has recently been dramatically disillusioned by the discovery of a series of great Late Stone Age cities in the Indus valley dating from the third and even perhaps fourth millennium B. C."
The
Antiquity of Jainism and Buddhist literature
There was a time when European Scholars regarded Jainism as a religion of medieval advent or an off-shoot of Buddhismo. Jacobi was tbe first to etsablish in 1884 the antiquity of Jainism as an independent and pre-Buddhistic religion on the basis of the data available from the Pali Canon. He regarded Parsvanatha as a historical person and the founder of Jainism.