Rushibhashit Sutra

Author(s): Vinaysagar, Sagarmal Jain, Kalanath Shastri, Dineshchandra Sharma
Publisher: Prakrit Bharti Academy

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paramatmavadi, manoatmavadi etc, available in various works of Indian philosophy are different than those of Rishibhashit.
21. GATHAPATIPUTRA TARUN The 21st chapter of Rishibhashit179 contains the discourse of Gathapatiputra Tarun. Besides Rishibhashit, his mention can not be found anywhere else in Jain, Vedic or Buddhist traditions. His basic teaching in Rishibhashit is propagation of the path of knowledge. According to him ignorance is the ultimate anguish.
That again is the cause of fear. This world is the end product of this void of knowledge, in other words the living continues to be reborn in this world because of absence of knowledge, or ignorance. He states about himself, 'Earlier I did not know, perceive, or comprehend due to ignorance; but now, due to knowledge, I know 'perceive', and comprehend, in the past, due to ignorance, I indulged in many immoral and unethical deeds under influence of passions; but now, having knowledge, I shall bring all the sorrows to an end and obtain the permanent and eternal abode, which is liberation.
Giving examples it has been shown in this chapter that because of ignorance how deer, bird, or elephant are caught in trap, how the fish swallow a bait, and how the moth burn themselves kissing a flame. Because of ignorance alone an aged lion jumps in water to fight its reflection, and ends its own life. Similarly mother Subhadra consumes her own son Supriya due to ignorance.
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.
Rishibhashit : A Study
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