Jainism in North India

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

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CHAPTER II
Mahavira and his Times
W E have already dealt with Pārsva, the predecessor of Mahāvīra,
W in the previous chapter. There is very little in connection with him that we can glean out from any other source but the Jaina Sūtras. From the Buddhist canonical literature we inferred that there was some such thing as the Cäturyāma-Dharma of Pārsva. All that we know about him is only through Jaina canonical literature, which has also been the basis for all those bistorians and scholars who have written about him.
We need not put down here all that the Jainas have to say about Pārsva, because it is impossible to deal with that part of Jaina history which forms the period between the last two Tirthankaras, mainly for two reasons-viz. that, in the first place, what we know about them is chiefly through mere tradition, and that, in the second place, there is so much that is contradictory even there. It would be enough to say that Pārsva was born of a king named Aśvasena, who was a ruling magnate at Benares, and that his mother's name was Vāmā. Furthermore, according to the Jaina belief there were 16,000 monks, 38,000 nuns, 164,000 laymen and 327,000 laywomen who formed his whole following. Pārsva is said to have lived for one hundred years, for seventy years of which he was engrossed in seeking Nirvāna.
Coming to Mahāvīra we find that, according to Jaina tradition, he came about two hundred and fifty years after his predecessor. The period of Indian history when Mahāvīra lived is called the 1 Ralpa-Sutra, sūt. 160 ; see also EMETART
T eto --Hemacandra, Trishashti-Salākā, Paroa IX, v 23, p. 196; Charpentier, CH I., 1, p 154
Kalpa-Sutra, sūt. 161-164
Iord , süt 168 ; see also aafada Icon I alyanccarat .. etc.--Hemacandra, op at, V. 318, p 219, Mazumdar, op cl, p 551
siuvifion EcuadgH statsfitatci --Kalpa-Sütra, Subodhiha-Tīkā, p. 182. "As he is said to bave died 250 years before the death of Mahavira, he may Probably have lived in the 8th century BC"-C.H.1,i,p 158
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