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Lord Mahavira all authorities on Buddhism have given their verdict to the contrary. But it is different with the Jainas. For, since, we know that Jainism was not founded by Mahâvîra, it follows that somebodyelse was the real founder of the sect, and it is possible that many reformers preceded Mahâvîra.
It is the opinion of nearly all scholars who have written on this question that Pârsva was the real founder of Jainism. The Rev. Dr. Stevenson says in his Preface to the Translation of the Kalpasutra, p. xii: “From Mahâvîra upwards, indeed, to the preceding Tirthankara Pârsvanậth; we have no list of head teachers, but we have only an interval of 250 years, while the term of Pârsva's sublunary existence is still bounded by the possible number of a hundred years ...... The moderation of the Jains, up to the time of Pârsavanátha, is the more remarkable as after that they far outstrip all their compeers in the race of absurdity, making the lives of their Tirthankars extend to thousands of years, and interposing between them countless ages, thus enabling us to trace with some confidence the boundary between the historical and the fabulous." Whatever many thought of this argument, it is at least favourable to the opinion that Pârsva is an historical person. This is rendered still more credible by the distinct mention of his followers and his doctrines in the Jaina Sûtras. That self-same doctrine, the châturyâma dharma, is mentioned by the Buddhists though ascribed to Nâtaputta.
But there is nothing to prove that Parsva was the founder of Jainism. Jaina tradition is unanimous in making Rishabha the first Tirthankara. Though he is stated to have lived 840,000 great years, and have died something less than 100,000,000 oceans of years before Mahâvîra's Nirvana, yet there may be something historical in the tradition which makes him the first Tirthankara. For the Brâhmans-too, have myths in their Purânas about a Rishabha, son of king Nâbhi and Meru, who had a hundred sons, Bharata and the rest, and entrusting Bharata with the government of his kingdon, adopted the life of ananchorite-Wilson, Vishnu Purâna, vol. II., p. 103 sqq. All these particulars are also related by the Jainas of their Rishabha; and from the more detailed account in the Bhagarata Purâna it is evident that the fabulous founder of the Jaina sect must indeed be meant (ibid, p. 104, note 1). But what value belongs to these myths of the Puranas
