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The Predecessors of The 24th Jina
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group called Thakur lives in western Nepal, whose sect is called Pen-po. Members of this sect believe in God, whom they call leading to the Heaven (towards the heaven compare the designation, 'Tirthankar' leading or carrying the being across the ocean) or the 'joined conqueror' (compare Jeena'-the 'conqueror). They portray this god fully naked, as the Jains their Tirthankars. The difference consists in that this god has five faces and ten hands (that is why he is called Joined) but these faces are painted in those colours, in which Jains paint the statues of their Tirthankars-blue, red, white, green and yellow. The symbol of this god is a bird, which also is the symbol of Tirthankars. The Pen-po sect also portrays their godly ancestors naked, painting their figures white or blue.
Although the Pen-po religion is nearly not studied at all, it is certain that there is no idea of the creator of the world in it, as also in Jainism. Pen-po is also similar to Jainism in that vegetarianism is strictly observed. In the pattern of ornaments which they plot on the house and on the utensils and on cloth etc. Swastika, a motif is widespread. It is also often met with an ornaments and on various things from the Indus valley and on the things belonging to Jains and on the sculptures. The Thakurs consider that the saints of their faith are full ascetics who similar to Tirthankars, lead on the path of salvation.
The Lichhavi tribe played a significant role in the history of Jainism, about which 'Manusmriti' says that Lichhavi is born out of 'Vratya kshatriyas'. Lichhavi, along with the not less known tribes of the first half of the first millenium B.C. such as the Malla, Vrijji (Vajji), Shakya, Koliya and Bhagga created so-called republic states. Lichhavi constituted a part of the confederation of eight tribes-Atthakul (eight kinship) and the confederation of the Vajji, which existed in the course of several centuries. The territory of the last-mentioned embraced approximately the contemporary North Bihar and part of Nepal but its borders went on changing. There is a mention of the Brahmins being peasants in the villages belonging to the kshatriyas in north Bihar and this means that they did not play there a noticeable role.
Here in the republics in Bihar, the original population of which consisted of tribes mentioned above, anti-Brahmanic reaction was at its highest. All land, property, slaves belonged to
