Life in Ancient India as Depicted in Jain Canons

Author(s): Jagdishchandra Jain
Publisher: New Book Company

Page 21

CHAPTER 1
THE HISTORY OF THE JAIN CHURCH
According to the Jain tradition, Usabha or Rsabha was the first 7ına and thc first Tithankara who was born in a very primitive age when people were illiterate and did not know any art In fact, it was Usabha who is said to havc taught the arts of cooking, writing, pottery, painting and sculpture for the first time At this time came into existence the institution of marriage, the ceremony of ciemating the dead, building of thc mounds (thubhas) and the festivals in honour of Indra and the Nāgas It is said that Usabha was born in Ikkhāgabhūmi (Ayodhyā), the first capital of India, and is said to have lived for an immeasurable length of time He attained Nurina on the mountain Atthāvaya (Kailasa), where tcmplcs in his honour were built by his son, Bharata
Then the traditional list is given of the twenty thice Tirihankaras? It is curious to note, however, that most of the Tīrthrkaras have been assigned to the Iksaku family and are said to have attained salvation at the mountain Sammeja mo-lern Parasnath Hill in Hazarıbagh District) So far no historical evidences have comc forth to warrant the historical cxistence of the first twenty two Tirtha karas, on the other hand, taking into consideration the long duration of their careers and the intermediate periods between cach Tirthankara, they appear to be lcgendary figures introduced perhaps to balance the number of Jinas with the number of the Buddhas
PĀRSV.INĀTH 1-THE HISTORICAL PLRSONALITY Pás. Ou Pas h a, who was the imrncdiatc predecessor of Mahavira, is said to have founished some 250 years before the advent of the latter He was boin in Varanasi Benarcs) and was the son of the king Asasena by his qucen Vāmā He lucd thirty Tears as a lay man, and after leading « life of an asi clic for seventy years, attained salvation at thc inyunlaun Siimmcyah 3 Pārsvanātha is said to have visited a number of citics, the prominent among which were Ahicchattā*, Amalakappa, Sāvalthi, Hatthinārura, Kainpıllapura, Sāgcya, Rayagıha and Kosambi. He was known as Purisad iniya (pur isūpainīya in Pali) or the distinguished mun
I halpa sa 7 206 228, Jambu ? 18.10
2 CH The llenty four Buddhas, who immediately prcccded the last Buddha, Buddhavamsa. cr also Dich ll P 2 where the seven Buddhas arc mentioned
3 kalpa Sū 6 149 169 4 Ica 21 335 5 Näyit II P 229 Bibed , p 229 i ibid. p 330 8 Purusijānija is mentioned in the Angutiara I 290, II, 115.
halpa si 6 19 also see Schubring, Die Lehurd Der Jainas P 24.