________________
Tīrthankaravāda of Jainas:
(83)
prominent religion of contemporary period up to the beginning of Christian era have advocated 24 incarnations or its equivalents including Babylonians, Buddhas, Zoroastrians, Jews and Christians. The later these believe in 24 Ahuras, kings or elders who are there to try the lawless heathen and to advance the dominion of blessings. The Hindu and Buddha Gods do not try anyone but award punishment and blessings according to their deeds and actions. Thus, the incarnations have immense and bountiful capacity for judging the man for blessings and punishments.
Contrary, to these concepts of God in various religions, one would expect that as Jainas do not agree to supreme God, there are neither angels of gods, nor kings, elders or Ahuras. However, Jainas proclaim there are always great men on the earth to guide and lead people to spiritual uplift and human welfare. The Jainas have accordingly advocated not one but a series of three twenty fours called Tīrtharikaras--leaders of the way across the sorrowful world--one each belonging to the past, present and future. The present great men start with Rşabhadeva and end with Neminātha (1500BC), Pārsvanātha (877-777 BC) and Mahāvīra (599-527BC). According to Major Furlong, the idea of 24 great men in Jainas was prevalent long before Aryans reached Gangetic plain or Sarasvatī. It will, therefore, not be improper to assume that 24-system is older than the first Aryans in India, who adopted it and completed it later. Perchance, Kapila of Sārnkhya main figure for this system in Hindus by postulating 24 Tattvas.
All these great men of Jainas started their career as normal men but because of their extraordinary intelligence and insight into phenomenon of human life, they could discover real truth through their meditation and austere penances. They attained self-realisation and preached their way to the people for being permanently happy. As it happens, these best among the lots were later deified in Puranic age with many superb qualities with respect to body, age, marriage, intellectual and physical powers and the like. Ultimately, they started treating them like Gods of Hindus.
These god-like Jaina Tīrtharikaras are, according to C. R. Jain, actually teaching gods in contrast to creator and controlling God. We
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
