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Rishibhashit: A Study
Showing the sad consequences of ignorance the discourse guides towards the path of knowledge and states that it is because of knowledge that the arts such as tracing, refining and formulating medicines are made possible. These statements indicate that Gathapatiputra Tarun must have been a Rishi of the tradition of the path of knowledge. However, in absence of any information about him in Jain, Vedic, or Buddhist traditions, nothing much can be said about him. The story of the old lion and his reflection in water is also available in Panchtantra, 180 this confirms the antiquity of both Panchtantra and Rishibhashit.
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22. GARDABHAL (DAGBHAL)
The 22hd chapter of Rishibhashit181 is concerning Gardabhal Rishi. Regarding his personality, we find a mention in Uttaradhyayan Sutra 182 also, besides Rishibhashit. Here he has been mentioned as teacher or Acharya of Sanjay and also as Bhagvan and Vidya-Charan-Paraga; this shows his importance. Uttardhyayan-sutra thus confirms that Sanjay and Gardabhal of Rishibhashit were historical persons. In Jain tradition there is also mention of a king Gardabhill of Avanti who was a contemporary of Acharya Kalak and who kidnapped Kalak's sister, Saraswati (a nun). But this Gardabhill is a different person, not the Gardabhal of Rishibhashit. There is not a trace of doubt that Rishi Gardabhal of Rishibhashit and Acharya Gardabhal of Uttaradhyayan are one and the same person.
As regards his preachings detailed in Rishibhashit are concerned, he first states that karma are infested with himsa (violence), but the enlightened are free of himsa, and as such, like a lotus leaf in pond, they are not infested with Karma particles. After this the complete chapter is full of prominence of male and condemnation of female. Supporting the prominence of male it has been stated that all religions (Dharma) begin with man, and have man as supreme, elder, supporter, illuminater, coordinator, and focus. As an ulcer is dependent on body, ant-hill on earth, lotus on water, and fire on wood, religion is dependent on man.
It is worth mentioning that the Sanskrit Commentator of Rishibhashit, Schubring as well as this translation of Rishibhashit have indicated the meaning of Dharma, here, as Gramya Dharma, which means religion of mundane passions. But in my opinion, Dharma here carries its popular meaning of religious traditions, religious sects or religion. In Jainism, of the ten Kalpa (religious texts), purush (man) is the senior kalpa which maintains that in context of religious organisation man is all
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