Religion and Culture of the Jains

Author(s): D C Sirkar
Publisher: University of Calcutta

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RELIGION AND CULTURE OF THE JAINS
exaggerating the imaginary details of their cosmography more conspicuously than the Hindus. Dr. Keny wondered whether Sm. Sengupta tried to understand the Jain ideas within the present day knowledge of the subject. Dr. A. N. Lahiri remarked that the ancient people had no scientific basis for their ideas so that their process of thinking was different. Prof. Sircar opined that, in reality, Jain cosmography was an elaboration of the Brāhmaṇical ideas, the details being clothed in excessive imagination. Dr. S. Bandyopadhyay referred to some writings on Jain cosmography, which Sm. Sengupta could have consulted with benefit.
Dr. Sm. R. Champakalakshmi then read her paper on Jainism in Tondaimaņdalam' in which she surveyed the available evidence, both epigraphical and literary, regarding the appearance of Jainism in Tondaimaqdalam. On the basis of a Digambara tradition, she attributed the advent of Jainism in South India to the migration of the Jain community under the Śrutakevalin Bhadrabāhu to the Mysore region at the beginning of the 3rd century B. C. Prof. Sircar remarked that epigraphical evidence points to the existence of Jainism side by side with Brāhmaṇism and Buddhism in all parts of South India during the early centuries of the Christian era. Sri R. K. Bhattacharya referred to the Jain Brāhmaṇas of Gujarat, and Prof. Sircar remarked that the Brāhmaṇas who worked particularly for the Jain community are called Jain Brāhmaṇa. Sri A. K. Chakravarti said that the traditional caste division was accepted by the Jains and the Buddhists.
The morning session ended for the lunch interval at 1 p.m.
Afternoon Session
After resumption of the session in the afternoon, Dr. Sm. K, Saha read her paper on 'Some Festivals and Fasts of the Jains', in which she discussed both Svetāmbara and Digambara festivals. Prof. Sircar remarked that many of these fasts and festivals, well known to the students of Jainism, were observed