Outlines of Jainism

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

Page 22

JAINISM BEFORE MAHAVIRA
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the Jaina tradition, be considered to be one of the reformers who were responsible for revitalizing and reinterpreting certain moral principles when humanity began treading the unrighteous path.
In the Jaina canons we find a mention by name of all the twenty-four Tīrthankaras in the order in which they appeared and about their life-span. Rşabha, the first Tīrthankara is believed to have lived for 8,400,000 years, the twenty-second Tīrthařkara, Nemi, for 1000 years, the twenty-third Tīrthankara, Pārsva, for 100 years and the twenty-fourth Tīrthankara, Mahāvīra, for 72
years.
Though Jacobi and some other scholars believe that there must be something historical even about the first of the Tīrthankaras, and though the Jainas consider the Pūrvas, the oldest of their sacred books as dating back to Rşabha, scholars confirm the historicity of the last two Tirtharkaras alone, i.e., of Pārśva and Mahāvīra. For instance Lassen writes of Pārsva : “That this jina was a real person is specially supported by the circumstance that the duration of his life does not at all transgress the limits of probability as is the case with his predecessors."'5 Considering the fact that only from the time of Alexander's invasion on India fixing of precise dates in Indian history has been possible and also the inability of scholars to produce authentic evidence regarding the pre-Pārśva period, the historicity of Pārśva and Mahāvīra may be accepted.
Though no direct historical evidences are available even with regard to Pārsva we have some evidences. The Jaina inscriptions found in Mathura in Uttar Pradesh contain a dedicated reference to Rşabha and some other Tīrthankaras. Three important inscriptions may be cited here : (1) May the divine Rşabha be pleased6; (2) Adoration to the Arhats?; (3) Adoration to the Arhat
of our age according to the Jaina tradition, were: Ajita, Sambhava, Abhinandana, Sumati, Padmaprabha, Supārsva, Candraprabha, Puşpadanta or Suvidhi, sitala, Śreyāṁsa, Vāsupūjya, Vimala, Ananta, Dharma, Sānti, Kunthu, Ara, Malli, Munisuvrata, Nimi, Nemi or Aristanemi and Pārsvanātha.
3 One pūrva year is considered to be equivalent to 70,560,000,000,000 years. 4 Kalpa-Sutra, 227,182,168 & 147 5 1.A., II, p. 261 6 Epigraphica Indica, I, 386, Inscr. VIII 7 Ibid., 1, 383, Inscr. III