Book Title: Rushibhashit Sutra
Author(s): Vinaysagar, Sagarmal Jain, Kalanath Shastri, Dineshchandra Sharma
Publisher: Prakrit Bharti Academy
View full book text
________________
of Narads, who must certainly have existed earlier to Buddha, Mahavir, and Parshwa during the period of Arishtanemi.
In this chapter the five great vows accepted in Jain tradition have been turned into four purgations. The peculiarity is that celibacy and non-possessiveness have been combined. This indicates that the compiler of this work was Influenced by the Chaturyam concept (four diemensional concept) of the tradition of Parshwa. This is because in the Chaturyam of Parshwa also, celibacy and non-possessiveness have been put in one category.
2. VAJJIPUTTA (Vatsiputra)
In Jain tradition, Vajjiputta has been mentioned in Rishibhashit alone, But in Buddhist tradition Vajjiputta Ther finds mention at many places62. Schubring and Upasak both believe Vajjiputta to be connected with Buddhist tradition63. In Buddhist tradition there was a separate sect of Vajjiputtaks who maintained a difference of opinion with general Buddhist monks on certain points. However, Prof. C.S. Upasak has put forward a doubt in accepting Vajjiputta as connected with Buddhist tradition. According to him the sect of Vajjiputta was formed at a latter period than the writing of Rishibhashit. But his doubt appears to be ill-founded, because the Vajjiputtiya sect mentioned in Buddhist tradition had already come into existence in the 4th5th century B.C. Also, Vajjiputta was, in fact, contemporary of Buddha.
The emergence of Vajjiputtiya sect within the Buddhist organisation signifies that Vajjiputta must have been an influential monk in the Buddhist tradition and his disciples must have been large in number to have formed a sect under his own following. Buddhist literature also reveals that Vajjiputta was contemporary of Buddha and Mahavir. In Thergatha Atthakatha he has been shown as a Lichchhavi prince from Vaishali, who became so impressed with Buddha that he accepted Buddhism; and becoming a monk, started meditation in forests around Vaishali. The reason for his inclusion in Jain tradition, specially in Rishibhashit, may be that he belonged to the same clan, Lichchhavi, to which Mahavir belonged.
152 इनिभासियाई सुत्ताई
