Jains Through Time

Author(s): Shilapi Sadhvi
Publisher: Veerayatan

Page 39

The Jains through Time
The Splendour of Jainism in South India Let me tell you something about the spread of the religion of ahimsa and compassion by those people so worthy of my veneration, the Jain acharyas. Come, take a look at all those years that have gone by. It is more than two thousand years ago; Buddhism and Brahminism were at their peak. There was great animosity between the Aryan and non-Aryan races. There were hardly any amenities for travelling. Despite these obstacles and all sorts of other challenges, the Jain shramans ignored all the external differences of caste and creed and spread the message of Mahavir in Aryan and non- Aryan states alike. They journeyed to South India, the centre of the Dravidian community, and established Jain monasteries there.
to the people's welfare. They developed cordial relationships with royal families in the area and earned their respect and devotion. Many kings, noblemen, generals, ministers and other notables became Jains and renounced the world. The main dynasties of the South - the Gangas, Rashtrakutas, Kadambas, Pallavas, Cholas, Chandras, Hoyasalas, Chalukyas and Pandyas - expressed their keen interest in the teachings of Mahavir. While the kings of North and West India in general merely respected Jainism, the kings of South India not only embraced it as their religion, but also made its propagation the cornerstone of their reign.
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With tremendous hard work and dedication they learned the difficult local dialects of Tamil, Kannad and other languages so that they could use them to write up the Jain texts. They opened schools, orphanages, dispensaries and other institutions dedicated
Jains in the latter part of 1" century AD could be compared to present-day Christian missionaries. They exhibited the same tireless patience, burning zeal, ingenuity and fortitude. For them, devotion and propagation were two sides of the same coin. The natural companion of their day was the thought that everyone should be touched by the compassion of Mahavir. Whichever country they journeyed to they