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JAINISM THROUGH AGES
Dr. Kamini Gogri
lait
LESSON - 5
names of Jain lay devotees suggesting the popularity of
Jainism in earlier times. A number of Jain inscriptions of In this article we will study the spread of Jainism in Uttara
the Kusana and Gupta period and several nude images Pradesh.
of Jinas show the names of the gana (group), kula (lineage) Northern India:
and sakha (branch) mentioned in the Svetambar Theravali. thern areas of Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Punjab, Kampilya was another great centre of Jainism which is Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Kashmir and mentioned in the Bhagavati (1921: p. 2348) and the Rajasthan have been associated with Jainism since the days Uttaraadhya-vana Sutra (Law 1940: 140) referring to King of the first tirthankara Risabhdeva, who was born in Saniava who was a Jain devotee. Sankasya, mentioned in Ayodhya. Many tirthankaras were born in northern India, the Ramavana, the capital of Kusadhavaja Janaka, where the last being Parsvanatha, born in Varanasi.
Sita's parental uncle had a Sankasiya branch of the Historically, the north has been divided into many Carana gana established in the third century BCE, shows kingdoms, large and small, ruled by various clans and its connection with Jainism (Chatterjee 1978: p.95). dynasties, some of which patronised Jainism. It is difficult
Jainism penetrated into northwest India quite early. to give a full account of Jainism in different parts of the ancient city of Kapisi, visited by Yuan Chwang in the Northern India after the Maureen period. Epigraphic seventh century CE and been identified as Opian in evidences are very few and hence the history is dependent Afghanistan by Cunningham, had a sizeable Jain population on literary sources, archaeo-logical evidence and discovery (Chatterjee 1978: p.97). The Jain literary tradition of early Jain images. The Jain literary sources suggest the associates Taksasila with Bahubali, a son of Risabha. Sir John existence of Jain temples in almost all the principle cities of Marshal has observed a large number of Jain edifices in India, but practically none of them have survived. Taksasila suggesting that it was a great Jain centre Archaeological and some epigraphic sources denote the (Archaeological survey of India 1914-15:p.2). Sinhapura, state of Jainism in Mathura, Kausambi, Sravasti, Rajgraha, identified by Stein (1890, vol. 4, p. 80) and Cunningham Ahichhatra, Taksasila and Simhapura.
with the modern Ketas in the Salt Range (Punjab, Pakistan), The earliest Jain inscription found in Mathura is from was visited by Yuan Chwang, where he saw Svetambar Jains the period of 150 BCE. It developed as a centre of Jainism (Chwang's Diary.1, date n.a:.p.248). under the varied patronage of many rulers stretching over
Although the Digambars claim a great antiquity for centuries. It receded after the Nanda dynasty, but later their sect, it is a fact that no Digambar record before 300 revived by Jain ascetics with the support mainly from
CE has so far been discovered (Chatterjee 1978: p. 99). common people, some Ksatriyas, a few women from the
Parsvanatha allowed the monks a lower and upper aristocratic families and the business community. Although
garment, while Mahavira did not bother whether the Mathura was a stronghold of the Bhagvata cult, both monks wore the garments or discarded the clothes Buddhism and Jainism flourished there. The evidence from following his example. From the earliest times, Jain monks epigraphic inscriptions and the literary sources suggest a indulged in both kinds of practices, wearing clothes strong Jain presence up to the 14th century CE (Chatterjee (sthavira kalpa) and going naked (Jina kalpa). It is 1978: pp. 46-72).
interesting to note that Parsvanatha never went naked, Varanasi, the birth place of Parsvanatha, the twenty- while Mahavira went naked, but he practised this 13 third tirthankara, Kausambi, the birth-place of months after he became an ascetic. Vimala's Paumcariyam Padmaprabha, the sixth tirthankara, and Sravasti the birth- written 530 years after Mahvira's liberation shows no place of Sambhavanatha, the third tirthankara, were great acquaintance with the Digambars, suggesting that there Jain centres from earliest times and had royal patronage. was no separation of Jainism at that time. The epigraphic Ahicchatra (Ramanagar UP), the ancient capital of Pancala evidence and dates of the original Digambar canon suggest had Jain temples dedicated to Parsvanatha and that the Jains separated as Svetambar and Digambar around Neminatha. The inscriptions from Ahicchatra disclose the 150 CE.
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