Risabha Deva

Author(s): Champat Rai Jain
Publisher: Jain Mitra Mandal

Page 83

LAST WORD
67 Sayana and other commentators of the Veda named, 110 doubt, establish the fact that Rishabha is the name of a person, but they too are not clear as to the identity of the person named. It may be clear that either they had no knowledge of who this Rishabha Deva was, or they did not wish to disclose his identity owing to religious animosity, which is responsible for many an alteration and addition in the Vedas. But the Hindu Puranas are found to be very helpful in settling the point; and they give one and all, the same story of Rishabhadeva as is found in the Jaina literature.10 Thus no reason 8. वैगजस्य शक्करस्य वा ऋषभाख्यस्य"-"ऋषभ ऋषभवत् प्रशस्तं"
--सायण "ऋषभोनाम । वैराजोऽयंशाक्करोवा।" -सीनुक्रमणिका पु. १६४ 9. Pargiter, A. I. H. T., p. II and Asur India, Intro ___p. IV. 10. Cf. Jaina account of Rishabha given in Harivamsa
Sarga 8 sls. 55-104 ff. with the following Quotations from the Hindu Puranas:हरिवंश पुराण सर्ग ८ श्लोक ५५, १०४ व सर्ग ६ श्लोक २१ अग्नीध्र सूनोनाभस्तु ऋषभोऽभूत् सुतो द्विजः । ऋषभाद् भरतो जज्ञे वीरः पुत्रं शताद्वरः ॥३६॥ सोभि शिंच्यर्षभः पुत्र महा प्रावाज्य मास्थितः । तपस्येते महाभागः पुलहाश्रम शंसयः ॥४०॥ हिमाव्हं दक्षिण वर्ष भरताय पिताददौ । तस्मात्तु भारत वर्ष तस्य नाम्ना महात्मनः ॥४१॥
.. -मार्कण्डेय पुराण अध्याय ५० पृ० १५० ।