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The Predecessors of The 24th Jina
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subjected to persecution. He Left for the south and preached there. After his death, Arhan (the word means a Jain ascetic), one of the southern rulers, founded the sect. But the people who adopted this new teaching started for the underworld. At the same time, Rishabha included in the Brahmanic pantheon in the form of one the incarnations of the God Vishnu. This circumstance and also the name Tirthankar, which bears Sanskrit character, confirms the idea that the Aryans had also participated in the development of early forms of Jainism.
The community which was founded by the 23rd Tirthankar, Parshva (or Parshvanath) was called 'Nigrantha, which means 'free from fetters' (from attachments). Both men and women could be members of the community. Parsva preached four truisms, adherence to which can, according to his teachings, secure cognition. Those are : not to kill, not to steal, non-attachment to things and complete truthfulness. For securing salvation, he prescribe strict asceticism. All the members of the community were divided in 'laymen (Shravakamen and Shravika-women) and 'Ascetics' (Yati, muni or sadhu-males and arjika or sadhavifemales). These four groups had their leaders, who observed the conduct of their members and this means that the community had a clear-cut organisation. Thus admittedly, Jainism as a system of religious and ethical veiws and likewise as a community of jainism was formed long before Mahâvîra Jeena became the head of the community.
According to Jain legends, Mahâvîra born in the beginning of the sixth century B.C. on the territory of Bihar. As regards Mahâvîras, father, it is Suid that he belonged to a kinship which was equal among. the equal ruling kshatriya kinships, in kumdagamma, near to Vaishali (capital of the Vaishali republic). Mahâvîras, mother belonged to the Lichhavi tribe. Mahâvîra added one more precept to the four precepts of his predecessor Parshava. This precept was expectation of complete chastity. In the course of 12 years he performed ascetic feats, living without clothes and almost without food. At the age of 42, he secured enlightenment and until his death was the spiritual head of the community.
He was very active in propagating Jainism and noticeably extended the borders of the coinmunity. During his life and after his death, this religion was widely known in the territory of modern
