Mahavira Jain Vidyalaya Rajat Jayanti Mahotsava

Author(s): Mahavir Jain Vidyalaya Mumbai
Publisher: Mahavir Jain Vidyalay

Page 187

PROBABLE DATES OF TWO PRE-HISTORIC TIRTHAMKARAS
By
RAO BAHADUR PRAHLAD C. DIVANJI, M.A., LL.M., ADVOCATE (0.5.) RETT. SMALL CAUSES COURT JUDGE.
I propose in this short article written at a very short notice, to draw the attention of those interested in ancient Indian history and the history of the Jaina religion to certain data obtainable from the works of the old Bhagawata and Jaina schools for fixing the probable dates of two of the Jaina pre-historic Tīrthamkaras, namely Aristanemi or Nemanatha, the 22nd Tirthaṁkara and Rṣabhadeva or Adinatha, the 1st Tirthaṁkara.
2. Now the first question that presents itself to a scholar when he applies his mind to the study of the life and achievements of a hero or sage is whether the hero or sage was a historical personage or a mythical personage. This question may seem unnecessary for investigation to the faithful, who are concerned with the life-story of the hero or sage only so far as it represents an ideal. But a student of history, who is realistic in his outlook and catholic in his views, would not turn to the next page in the traditional account of the life of a hero or sage until he finds from it a reasonable ground to believe that the subject of his study had a physical existence and that although the account thereof may have been made more lively by a lavish use of figures of speech, it had been or at least must have been based on a foundation of historical truth. So strict he is in this matter that just as a judge of a criminal court would rather acquit an accused person than convict him unless there is proof sufficient to leave no room for a reasonable doubt as to the man's innocence. he too would rather ignore a fact appearing from a traditional account than give it a place in history unless he is convinced beyond doubt from the materials at his command that it must have occurred. That was the reason why the early Western Indologists dismissed from consideration as myths or explained away as allegories the accounts of persons and events of the hoary past contained in the Indian Epic and Puranic works. This is indeed a high principle of historical investigation, which has always been adhered to and to which even we, educated Indians, cannot demur, in spite of all our patriotic fervour.
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