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Jainism Before Mahâvîra
of Mohan-jo-Daro it is guessed that Jainism already existed during the period which witnessed the flourishing of the Indus Valley Civilization.
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Yajña may be called the supreme symbol of the Aryan Culture, According to some scholars yajña (ritual) was the predominant feature of the Aryan culture while Pûja (worship) was that of the Non-Aryan Culture. However, there was yet another tribe or clan in this country that regarded vrâtas or vows to be supreme in its creed. The originators of vrâtas are called "Vrâtyas". The fifteenth canto of the Atharva Veda is Vrâtyakanda i.e. the canto on the urâtyas. Sâyana translates "Vrâtya" as 'group' or 'clan'. But the word Vrâtya has originated from urâta (vow). That Aryan clan which attached supreme significance to the vrâtas against the yajñas was called Vrâtya. In a Buddhistic scripture entitled "Manjushree Mûlakalapa" Rishabhadeva son of king Nâbhi is called "Vratapâlaka" i.e. one who follows his vows. Vrata also means "Rûdra".4 In certain aspects Shiva and Rishabha or Rudra and Vrishabha seem to be identical. Vrishabha (bull) is said to be the riding animal of Shiva. Lord Shiva is called Vrishabhadhvaja i.e. one whose flag bears the sign of a bull. The sign of Tirthankara Vrishabha is also bull. In Rigveda 'Vrishabha' means one who fulfils desires.5
According to Rapson these Vrâtyas were a nomadic people. They abstained from agriculture, wore turbans, loaded merchandise and sold it abroad during their long journeys. Agriculture was forbidden to them. Their language was not refined like that of the Aryans. Though their language resembled the Aryan one, it was quite different in some respect from Skt. It was a simple and colloquial form of Prâkrita. They usually avoided the consonants of difficult pronunciation and combined form. It is not possible to locate their homeland. According to the available informations some of them were settled in west and at least some of them certainly lived in the province of Magadha."
According to Sri R.C. Jain about 1400 B.C. the South East India was inhabited by the Vrâtyas, Iksvâkus, Mallas, Licchavîs, Kasîsa, Koshala, Videha, Magadha and Dravidians. The eastern part of India was the cradle of the Vrâtya creed.
Thus the Vrâtyas mentioned in the Rigveda are proved to be the forefathers of Jainism. In the Vedic texts 'Vrashabha' is
