Lord Mahavira and His Teachings

Author(s): Vallabhsuri Smarak Nidhi
Publisher: Vallabhsuri Smarak Nidhi

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Lord Mahavira and His Teachings
day-to-day practised tradition amidst one-fift”. of mankind inhabiting our country. If we take up the two most predominant currents in this stream of Bharatiya samskriti, the Brahmanical and the Jaina, they seem to be distinguishable even now (as Jainism has a very considerable following in our country) as Ganga and Yamuna mingling their different-hued water into one composite river. We shall try to sketch, necessarily in outline, how Jainism has influenced the Vedic-Brahmanic tradition and, thereby, contributed to our composite Bharatiya culture. Before we embark on this, we shall very briefly noté the most salient features of Jainism.
Jainism is generally clubbed along with Buddhism under shramanasampradaya. This does not bring out its essential nature in entirety. From times immemorial, it is exclusively termed nirgrantha sampradaya. This appellation brings out the fundamentals of Jainism. Of all traditions, Jainism emphatically lays stress on the nivrutti attitude towards life in this world.
The basic nivrutti stand-point characterising Jainism is laid as the foundation on which the entire Jaina structure of its salient features is raised up systematically and homogeneously. Tapas or the sustained mortification and control over the body as related with the Jiva is elaborated and insisted on in the Jaina canons. Even the harsh and rigorous features of tapas are stressed Upavasatha and Sallekhsna and Brahmacharya have been the distinctive features of Jainism. Detailed instructions regarding the several steps to be gone through in these