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18
MAHÂVÎRA'S DYNASTY : NAGA OR JNATA
-Acharya Tulsi -Muni Nathmal
(In this article rendered in English from a Hindi weekly "Jaina Bharati" the organ of Jain Svetambar Terapanthi Mahasabha, Calcutta No. Year Acarya Tulsi, head of the Terapanth and Sponsor of the Anuvrat Movement and his learned disciple Muni Nathmal have thrown light on the possibility of Mahâvîra's having been a Naga instead of a Jnata prince. No mention is made anywhere in the history of ancient India by anyone about a clan named Jnata except on the anthority of the word "Nata" or "Naya" used for Mahâvîra's clan in the Agamic texts which in its Skt from is taken to be Jnata. But on the basis of the usages prevalent in Prakrit expecially that used in the Jaina cononical texts, in those period to which Mahâvîra is supposed to have belonged the authors gave shown that 'Jnata' is not the only skt from of Nata or Naya; that "Naga" is also a correct Skt form of these words. Nagas have played a significant role in the history of India. They were a non-Aryan and non-Vedie people and were connected with Jainism from immemorable past. The present thesis on the clan of Mahâvîra is a very important contribution to Jainological studies and research and deserves attention of scholars all over the world. -Editor)
The word "Nayaputta" is frequently used as a synonym of Lord Mahâvîra.1 In the Buddist Pitakas he is called "Niggantha Nataputta".2 The skt form of both the words Nata and Naya is Jnata. Hence he is called Jnataputra i.e. one belonging to the Jnata clan. Now what does the word Jnata denote ? A person or a clan? According the system of naming prevalent in those days the word "putra" (sutta = son) was simply put after the name of his father, mother or the clan. We come across such names
