Outlines of Jainism

Author(s): S Gopalan
Publisher: Wiley Eastern Private Limited New Delhi

Page 14

IS JAINISM AN OFFSHOOT OF BUDDHISM ?
seems to us so strange in any system which can be called a religion, are closely analogous to Buddhism and from one point of view Jainism is a part of the Buddhist movement. But more accurately it may be called an early specialized form of the general movement which culminated in Buddhism."?4
Thanks to the researches of two German scholars Jainism is no longer considered to be a mere offshoot of Buddhism. Hermann Jacobi, in his introduction to his edition of Kalpa-Sūtra5 and his paper Mahāvīra and his Predecessors showed that Jainism had an independent origin. George Bühler gave a scientific and comprehensive account of the birth and growth of Jainism in his article The Indian Sect of the Jainas.?
It is quite possible that since the twenty-fourth Tīrthankara, Mahāvīra (who is mistakenly considered to be the founder of Jainism) is referred to by some other names in the Jaina and Buddhist classics, researchers have not been able to appreciate the fact that Jainism, far from being an offshoot of Buddhism, had, in fact, an earlier origin. Mahāvīra belonged to Jñātri-kşatriya class and so was known as Jñātriputra. The Jainas in general were referred to in Saṁskrit classics as Nirgranthas (those who have been freed from the fetters) and in the Pāli classics of Buddhism as Niganshas. A reference to the latter is particularly illuminating as it lays bare facts not so clearly evident nor well-known to casual students of Jainism. The Pāli equivalent of jñāta is nāta and hence in the Buddhist classics Mahāvīra is referred to as Nātaputta. The Buddhist Pitakas refer to the Niganthas as opponents of the Buddha and his followers. No doubt, the reference is for the sake of refuting the rival doctrines, The terms Nigaạthanātha, Nigamsha Nātaputta and Nätaputta that are found in the Buddhist texts refer to Mahāvīra. Regarding this Bühler writes : “The discovery of the real name of the founder of the Jainass belongs to Professor Jacobi and myself. The form
4 Hinduism and Buddhism (London : Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd., 1962), Vol. I, p. 105
5 The Kalpa-Sutra of Bhadrabāhu (Leipzig, 1879), pp. 1-15 6 See The Indian Antiquary, Vol. IX, pp. 158 ff. 7 Paper read in 1877
8 It will be noticed here that Mahāvīra is referred to as the founder of the Jaina tradition. Such a reference must indeed have been a slip from the learned scholar's pen.