Outlines of Jainism

Author(s): J L Jaini, F W Thomas
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Page 39

RODUCTION: HISTORY, ETC.
XXXV
in the lives of these two wonderful souls : but the tradition is perfectly matter-of-fact, and there is no ground for rejecting it. As to the question of date, Nemi-nātha was a cousin of Krishna, the Lord of the Bhagavad-gitá, and the great guide and friend of Arjma. Krishna, and his clan the Yādavas, are known to have been in Dwarakā, a maritime city not far from the seat of Nemi-nātha's activity and wirednu. Scholars of Hindu literature may be able to throw light upon the activity of Jainas or Nirganthas (or had they still a third name in Käthiāwādh under Nemi-uátha?) of about the time of the Mahā-bhārata. A little more contirmation of the plausible and uncontroverted Jaina tradition will be a great point gained, as it will push back the light of knowledge of Jaina history by at least a thousand or more years.
As the last Tirtharikara, then, Mahāvīra is the direct source of the existing Jaina sacred books. Mahāvīra's speech is stated to have been intelligible to all-even to the animals and birds—who were present at his sermons. It is a noticeable fact that Jainism is perhaps the only religion said to have been expounded to all living creatures, all understanding in their sereral ways the message of peace and freedom which it brought. To the absent, and to all who came after his niruāna, Malāvira's chief disciples and apostles, the Gana-dharas, explained the truth of things in accordance with the Jina's speech. Up till now the faith was promulgated only by word of mouth and by tradition, of which memory was the chief repository and means of continuance. The preceding Tirthankaras are, it