Jainism in North India

Author(s): Chimanlal J Shah
Publisher: Longmans Green and Compny London

Page 33

JAINISM IN NORTH INDIA and his followers. Wherever they arc mentioned in the Buddhist canon it is mostly to refute their belief, and thus to assert tlie superionty of the faith of Lord Buddlia These facts piove two things that the Jaina monks were called Niganthas, and that, as far as the Buddhist writings reach, the Jainas and Buddhists were great rivals 2
Coming to Mahāvīra, we find that his father, Siddhūrtha, was of Käsyapa Gotra, belonging to the clan of the Jñātri-Kshatriyas.3 This is the reason why Mahāvīra was known as Jñātriputra in his own days 4 Now, in Pāli, Nāta is equivalent of Jñāli, and hence Jñätraputra means Nātaputta, which more resembles Nāyaputta, “a Buruda of Mahāvira used in the Kalpa-Sūtra and the Uttarādhyayana-Sūtra" 5 Thus the titles Niganthanâlha, NiganthaNätaputta, and also merely Nātaputta refer to none else but Mahavira, “The discovery of the real name of the founder of the Jainas," says Dr Buhler, “belongs to Professor Jacobi and myself. The form Jñātriputra occurs in the Jaina and northern Buddlust books; in Pál it is Nätaputta, and in Jaina Prākrt Nayaputta. Jñata or Jñätt appears to have been the name of the Rajput clan from which the Norgrantha was descended ” 6
Again coming back to the Buddhist canon, we find in an old book of the Singalese canon, the Samagama-Sutta, a reference to Nigantha-Nätaputta's death in Pāvā.? Furthermore, a reference to the doctrine of the Niganthas, as given in Buddhist canonical litorature, confirms the identity of the Niganthas with the Jainas. “The Nagantha-Nātaputta knows and sees all things, claims perfect knowledge and faith, teaches annihilation by austerities of the old Karmas and prevention by activity of new Karma. When Karma ceases all ceases” 8 There are indeed many such references to Mahāvīra
* See Anguttara Nikaya, I,74, Nahữwagga, v , 81, etc
1 "Among the religious sects of non-Buddhistio persuasion are the Norgranthas or Jornas, the adversaries whom Ashvaghosha detests with ureater virulence than Brahmans"_Nariman, Sanskri Buddhism, P 199 (2nd ed), see also Mitra, The Sanskrit Buddinst Laterature in Nepal, P 11
7199709, of Kalpa-Sutra, sūt 110, see also ibid, sit 20, etc, ĀcārängaSutra, pt 11 , Adhyayana XV, 4
Ind, pt 1, VII, 12, and VIII, 9 * Jacobi, Kalpa-Sutra, Int ,po
• Buhler, IA, vu, p 148, n 5 See also “We owe to Professor Jacobi the suggestion, which is undoubtedly correct, that the teacher, who is this styled in the sacred books of the Buddhists, is identical th Mabăvira, etc --CHI,1,P 160
7 Z.D.MG, TW, p 749 Cf Buhler, The Indian Sect of the Jarnas, P 84.
Angullara Vrhūya, 12 , 74 CE S BE, vy,p xv.