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PROLEGOMENA TO PRAKRITICA et JAINICA
Tradition says that Ṛşabha became a king at the very young age (purva varṣa). He reigned for many years, then resigned for his sons. Having spent many years, he attained nirvāņa on a mountain named Aşṭapada which, Hemacandra says, is the same as Kailāśa. Tradition further says that he was the first who laid the foundation of Jaina religion.
Vacaspati' says in his Nyaya-värttika-tātparya-ṭīkā that Buddha and Rṣabha are the authors of the Buddhist and Jaina Agama texts respectively. Hemacandra in his Laghvartha-niti says that Rṣabha is the creator of rājanīti.
According to the Jaina tradition (also corroborated by the non-Jain sources, such as, Bhāgavata-skanda V, Vāyupurāṇa, Viṣṇupurāṇa), it is mentioned that the doctrine of ahimsa was first preached by Ṛṣabha. According to them, Rṣabha's period represents a complete change of world conditions. Prior to this, the country was called Bhogabhūmi (land of enjoyment') where people were satisfied of all their wants by the mere wish through the help of the traditional kalpavṛkşa. During the time of Rşabha these happy conditions completely disappeared and the people were in perplexity as to the way of life which they were expected to carry on with. Then they all went to Ṛṣabha praying for help. He is said to have consoled them by showing the way of life. And through his people, he established a sort of social organisation by dividing his society into agriculturists, traders and soldiers. After ruling over his kingdom for several years, he abdicated his throne in favour of his son Bharata and went into the forest to perform penance. After the practice of penance for several years he attained kevala-jñāna (omniscience). Then he went about from place to place preaching his ahimsa religion to the people of the land, so
7. Burgess, ibid., p. 5.
8. K.K. Handique, ibid., p. 227.
9. Majumdar, ibid., p. 270.
