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Rishibhashit : A Study
porary to Parshwanath and remaining as contemporary to Mahavir; this appears to be a later addition to the text. In the original text there is no mention of them as Pratyekbuddha
in Samvayang, however, while detailing the subject matter of Prashnavyakaran it has been mentioned that it is a compilation of discourses of contemporary and other Pratyekbuddhas. As Rishibhashit had been a part of Prashnavyakaran, indirectly Samvayang provides the first acceptance of the Rishis of Rishibhashit as Pratyekbuddhas35. It is obvious that as majority of the Rishis of Rishjbhashit were not of Jain tradition, in order to accept their discourses, they were believed to be Pratyekbuddhas. In Jain as well as Buddhist tradition, Pratyekbuddha is a person who attains ultimate knowledge through his solitary practices commenced by his own inspiration; he neither becomes a disciple of someone nor makes disciples to form an organisation. As Such a Pratyekbuddha is not confined within a tradition or institutional organisation, but he is a respected person in society and his preachings are considered to be authentic.
Rishibhashit and Principles of Jainism :
A comprehensive study of Rishibhashit forces us to consider whether it propogates the beliefs of Rishis of other traditions or it is just a propogation of Jain beliefs in their name. A cursory glance makes one believe that only Jain beliefs have been propogated in their name. Prof. Schubring and, with his reference, Prof. Lallan Gopal have infered that the compiler lacks authenticity in quoting the discourses of Rishis and has presented them in his own way; the basis for this inference is the similarity of beginning as well as end of each discourse. This conclusion appears to be true looking at the Jain traditional terms like Panch Mahavrat, Kashaya, Parishah etc.
For example, in the chapter of Narad there is a mention of four ways of cleansing which is nothing but propogation of the Chaturyam conception of Jains. In the chapter of Vajjiyaputta the Karma principles have been propogated. This Chapter confirms that life is directed by Karma, and attachment is the cause of sorrow. It also explains that the transition of Karma in attachment and vice versa is cyclic like seed and plant. The cycle of Karma is terminated by wiping out attachment first as destruction of roots destroys leaves, flowers, and fruits of a tree. This concept of Karma can also be found in chapters 13, 15, 24, and 30 of Rishibhashit. Similar details are also available in Jain tradition in the thirty second chapter of Uttaradhyayan.
Similarly, the third chapter of Asit Deval in Rishibhashit contains
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