Lord Mahavira Vol 02

Author(s): S C Rampuria
Publisher: Jain Vishva Bharati Institute

Page 94

Lord Mahâvîra as Reflected in Buddhist Sources
85
Parsvanatha was known as Purisajaniya or distinguished man according to the Anguttaranikaya. The Dharmottarapradipa (p.286) also refers to both Parsvanatha and Aristanemi. The Caturyamasamvara, which is attributed to the Nigantha Nataputta in the Samannaphalasutta, is in reality a teaching of Parsvanatha.? Some Niganthas mentioned in Pali literature are apparently followers of Parsvanatha. For instance, Vappa, 8 Upali,9 Abhaya, 10 Aggivessayana Saccaka, 11 Dighatapassi, 12 Asibandhakaputta Gamani, 13 Deva Ninka, 14 Upatikkha, 15 Siha16 are lay followers while Sacca, Loha, Avavadika, Paticara!? are lay women followers of the Parsvanatha tradition. They had later on become the followers of the Nigantha Nataputta. 18 Jacobi, therefore, says that parsva was a historical person. Early life of Mahâvîra
Mahâvîra was born at Kundanapur (Vaisali) or Kundanagama. Jacobi indentified Kottigama of the Mahavagga with Kundagama of the Jaina Texts. Mahâvîra's parents Siddhartha and Trisala were the chief of Vaisali and followers of Tirthankara Parsvanatha (Pasavaccijja-Ayaranga, 2.15-16). Not much is found about his childhood and householder life in early Prakrit and Pali literature. Regarding his ascetic life, of course, we find some valuable references in early Pali as well as Prakrit Scriptural Texts which will be discussed in the following pages. He renounced the worldly life at the age of thirty and attained Kevalajnana after undergoing severe penance. He then preached the Dharma for about thirty years and attained Nirvana at Pava in 527 B.C. The Scripture whatever we have at present reached to us through him. He is called Nigantha in the sense that he is free from all bonds, and is called Nataputta because Nate or Naya was the name of his clan. The term Nigantha for a Jaina came to be used perhaps along with the origin of Jainism itself.
The Vedic literature does not mention at all the life and contribution of Mahâvîra. The Pali literature, of course, refers to his principles and later, not the early, part of his life. So far as Jaina Literature is concerned, both the Digambara and Svetambra traditions are not unanimous on certain points. Digambara literature is very Scanty in this regard. The Tiloyapannatti is perhaps the earliest book of Yativrasabha (about 5th c. A.D.) which