Most Ancient Aryan Society

Author(s): Ram Chandra Jain
Publisher: Institute of Bharatalogical Research Sriganganagar Rajasthan

Page 77

( 50 ) spiritual ideology of the Muni-Śramaņa culture of Bhārata, in its pristine glory, has been preserved in this Sūtra. Mahāvīra's followers moulded in the past and mould in the present their conducts according to the precepts ordained in this Sūtra. We learn from Uttarādhyayana Sūtra that Pārşva and his follower saints followed the same code of conduct which was later followed by Mahāvīra and his follower saints. The Achāra of both the Tīrthamkaras was of the same quality. The integrity of the precepts enjoined upon saints in the Achārānga Sūtra, thus goes back to the Ninth century B.C. Vrṣabha has been unanimously accepted as the First Tīrthamkara. Rgveda knows Vọṣabha who differentiated between Spirit and Matter, 24 Āchārānga differentiates between Spirit and Matter. Achāränga, therefore, is entitled to more weight and authority from the scholars than it has hitherto been given.
The pre-Brahmāryan Bhāratīyan, firstly, believed in Soul,25 They divided the world in six substances : Dharma (Motion), Adharma (Immobility), Space, Time, Matter and Souls. The characteristic of Soul is knowledge, faith, conduct, austerities, energy and realisation. The characteristic of Matter is sound, darkuess, lustre, light, shade, sunshine, colour, taste, smell and touch. Dharma, Adharma and Space are each one substance only ; but time, matter and souls are an infinite number of substances. 28 In the final analysis, the first four substances are included in the category of Matter. The world, thus, remains constituted of Soul and Matter or Spirit and Matter. Secondly, they believed in the doctrine of the transmigration of Soul. A soul that does not comprehend and renounce the causes of sin takes manifold births.? All living beings owe their present form of existence to their own Karma (effortiveness). Imperfect men whirl in the cycle of births, old age and