Kevalaodhi Buddhist And Jaina History Of Deccan Vol 2

Author(s): Aloka Parasher Sen, B Subrahmanyam, E Siva Nagi Reddy
Publisher: Bharatiya Kala Prakashan

Page 36

ADVENT OF JAINISM IN ANDHRA
D. KIRAN KRANTH CHOUDARY & P. HEMA
Several scholars who have studied the advent of Jainism into Andhra have expressed different opinions on the subject. B.S.L. Hanumantha Rao traces the advent of Jainism into Andhra to the 5th century BC.' G. Jawaharlal opines that the origin of Jainism in Andhradēśa might be traced to the 6th century BC during the lifetime of Mahavira himself. P.B. Desai assigns the date of the spread of Jainism into Andhra to the 6th Century BC. Prof. B.N. Mukherjee says that Jainism might have reached Andhra from the north and west and the period of its advent may have been as early as the 1st century BC, if not earlier." Between the 3rd or 7th Century AD, Jainism was practiced extensively in Andhra. The main sources on this subject are the Jaina literature and epigraphy. The following is an examination of literary evidences on the advent of Jainism into the Andhradēša.
According to the Haribhadriya Vritti, a Jaina text, Mahāvira himself preached his doctrine in the region of Kaļinga.' In one of his tours Mahāvira left Sravasti for Hathasisa and traveled to Tosali. From there he traveled to Masoli. The above text is datable to the 5th Century AD. It is well known that to claim hoary antiquity and the very presence of great teacher in the far off region gives greatness, sacred quality and is considered special from other regions where Mahāvira had not visited. So to take the claim of the text literally that Mahāvira visited Kalinga without any other contemporary evidence may not be historically viable. Further, to cite Kharavēļa's statement that Mahāvira visited Kaļinga and preached the Dharma from the Kumari hill may not also reveal the authenticity of this historical visit. As pointed out earlier this only shows the claims made by these sources to suggest the sanctity and greatness of the Kumari hill where the Jaina dharma grew in strength later under the patronage of Kharavēļa during the 1st century BC. Thus to claim Mahāvira's visit to Kalinga, part of which is now in Andhra, in the 6th century BC may not be valid and this therefore cannot be taken as the date of the entry of Jainism into Andhra. It is however agreed by the scholars that Jainism entered into Kaļinga by 4th century BC.
With regard to the date of the Jaina canonical texts, it may be mentioned that the Avasyaka-sútra mentions Mahävira's visit to Moshali, a place that is referred to as Maisolia by Ptolemy. This is the Krishna-Guntur area of Andhra Pradesh. Scholars have considered that the present versions of canonical works were edited at the council of Valabhi during the 5th or 6th Century AD. Though these works contain ancient accounts and events, the historicity of many of these cannot be proved satisfactorily. It is also pointed out that “It is also difficult to be precise about how much of 14 purvas (Purvas or old texts) containing original doctrines as taught by Mahāvira and the Angas compiled by the Jaina council at Pataliputra in the Maurya age were incorporated in the angas redacted at Valabhi council".
The Chheda sutras of the Jaina cannon give us a few details on the early spread of Jainism. Jaina