Mahavira and his Teaching

Author(s): C C Shah, Rishabhdas Ranka, Dalsukh Malvania
Publisher: Bhagwan Mahavir 2500th Nirvan Mahotsava Samiti

Page 369

V. G. NAIR
and the cradle of world culture and civilization. Naimiṣāraṇyam was the hermitage of Aryan Vedic Rshis. It was situated on the valley of the Himalayas. Many Rshis lived there engaged in austerities and performed animal sacrifices. Naimiṣāraṇyam is mentioned in the epics and the Puranas. In Naimiṣaranyam, Agasthya saw some Rsi engaged in an animal sacrifice. Mantras were recited and a goat was brought to the altar. Agasthya persuaded the Rṣis to abstain from performing the sacrifice. He interpreted the word Ajam as rice and expounded the doctrines of Ahimsā, the philosophy of Karma, the blessings fo compassion and mercy. The Vedic Rṣis were convinced that animal sacrifice is sin and released the goat. This incident in the life of Agasthya goes to prove that he was the pioneer humanitarian, the preacher of Jaina Dharma and the torch-bearer of Adi Bhagavan Rṣabha,
the father of human culture and civilization.
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There is literary and epigraphical evidence to prove that Agasthya had visited foreign countries for propagating the religion of Ahimsa. Images of Agasthya were discovered in Cambodia and in some other parts of South East Asia where the people worshipped them. Agasthya was the Parama Guru of Jina Dharmam, the religion of Universal benevolence. Agasthya also visited Sumātrā, Jāvā, Borneo, Bāli, Malāyā and Siam according to Tamil literature. Even in those pre-historic days, India had close cultural and commercial relations with foreign countries. According to the Tamil classic, Manimekhalai written by the Buddhist scholar Shertalai Sathanar, President of the 3rd Tamil Sangham of Madurai, in the 1st or 2nd centuries A.D., Maņimekhalai, the heroine of the epic who was a Buddhist nun went to Cambodia and other South East Asian countries to preach Buddhism. An image installed in a temple in Cambodia is dedicated to Bhadreśvara. There are Jaina Temples in Kathiawād and other parts of Saurastra and also in Gujarat dedicated to Bhadresvara. It is one of the sacred names of Jaina Tirthankaras. Some Jaina Munis even today are called Bhadra Munis. A temple in Java is dedicated to Bhattaraka Išvara. Neminath is called Bhattaraka in the Maha Purāṇam. It is a reverential title
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