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TIRTHANKARAVĀDA OF JAINAS
The western scholars have reported that there are only two religions Hindu and Jaina in the world, which have no traceable origin, and, hence, they are said to be highly prehistoric. As such, they represent the earliest thoughts of humankind regarding the Universe and the universal beings. Out of the two, the Jainas are said to be more antique because of their nude gods and idol worship representing earliest natural culture. The antiquity of their thoughts goes up to at least Sindhu valley civilization according to late Dr. Pran Nath Vidyalankar. The Rgveda, Atharvaveda and other old literature mention at least three of their great men between 800 BC and much earlier. Despite the fact that they form a very small population (about 1%) in India today, they have had profound impact on history, philosophy and culture of the east. Their philosophy of holy substance, polyviews, rejection of Vedas and its rituals and moral process leading to spiritual development have remarkably attracted other philosophers for considerable criticism. However, Satyagraha technique, UNO, NAM, care moral rearmament, and other agencies are the twentieth century applications of these principles.
Chapter - 6
The old literature contains seeds of initial human activities and thoughts regarding the Universe and its functioning. Śvetāśvatara mentions that time, nature, arbitrariness, fortunism, materialism and non-god soul may be thought of as the cause of its origin and functioning. Later thinkers, however, found many logical and practical flaws in all the above dictums and their thoughts culminated in assuming superman, God or Brahma as the creator of the Universe for his pleasure, curiosity or company. He is the all-controlling authority of the world and its events. He is also the Supreme Judge. This assumption
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