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138
Lord Mahâvîra
Jaina images found in the ruin of Alagâmalâi also prove that Jainism had spread far and wide in South India. In the PreMauryan period worship of the Jaina icons was popular in East India. The icons and paintings in the cave temples of Khandagiri and Udaigiri in Orissa belonging to the first century B.C. are worthseeing. According to some scholars Rani Noor Cave of Udaigiri contains pictures depicting the events of Tîrthankara Pârshava's life. The migration of Digambara Jaina monks from North India and their settlement in the South is regarded as the cause of the outspread of Jainism there. But even before that Jainism is proved to have flourished there. In several rock-inscriptions of the Kâdamba dynasty donations from the Jainas are mentioned. The kings the Andhra Dynasty were champions of Jainism. Like the kings of Kâdamba dynasty the Châlukya kings also followed Jainism. A study of 'Agathiyam' and 'Tautkäpam', two ancient texts on Grammer in Tamil reveals their authorship by a Jaina Acharya during the fourth century B.C. Thus, Jainism cridently spread far and wide in South India in 500 B.C.
Traces of the outspread of Jainism are also found in Afganistan, Ceylon, Nepal, Turkistan and central Asia. Now it is beyond doubt that from 1500 B.C. to 800 B.C. 14 Jainism had flourished in North India. Its antiquity leaves Mahâvîra and Pârshva far behind and reaching the Pre-Vedic ages finally disappears in the mist of pre-historic part.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
The Rig-Veda, 10/85/4.
Padma Purâna, 13/350.
Shrimat Bhagavata Purâna 5/3/20, 5/4/3.
The Yajur Veda, 16/25
The Rig Veda, 6/17/2.
The Cambridge History of India, Vol. 1, Second. Indian edition, 1962, pp.
111.
7.
8.
Shiva Purâna, 1/47.
The Story of Civilization (Our Oriental Meritage) New York, 1954, pp. 219. 9. Ibid. pp. 127.
10.
Ibid. pp. 199.
11.
The Cambridge History of India, pp. 136.
12.
13.
14.
Mahâpurâna 74/279.
Indian Culture, April 1938, pp. 515.
"Jainism and Its Universality" Dr. Kamta Prasad Jaina, JAIN BHARATI, Shodhâmka, pp. 49.
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