Book Title: Rushibhashit Sutra
Author(s): Vinaysagar, Sagarmal Jain, Kalanath Shastri, Dineshchandra Sharma
Publisher: Prakrit Bharti Academy
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like words etc.,, of the five senses like hearing etc. are pleasant and unpleasant. One should not be attached to the pleasant ones and should not be averse towards the unpleasant. His influx is blocked, who is alert and unrevolting. That pure soul, who conquers his mind and its passions and indulges in right penance shines like the flame of a yajna. In this manner, this chapter emphasizes on the discipline of mind and the five senses.
This theme of this chapter, with slight verbal variations, is also available in the second shrutaskandha of Acharanga in the chapter titled Bhavana and in Uttaradhyayan in the 32nd chapter titled Pramad-Sthan. This proves that this must have been the original discourse of Vardhaman Mahavir. The sentence 'Deva Vi Tam Namasanti' is also available in the first chapter of Dashvaikalik 226
This was his original discourse and its language also is accordingly. Another proof of this inference is that in the PaliTripitak, 227 in the discourse of Nigganthanataputta (Nirgranth Jnata-Putra or Vardhaman) a part of a sentence is Savva Vari Varito.' In Rishibhashit in this chapter there is a similar sentence: Savva Varihim Variye.' It should be recalled that Pt. Rahul Sankratyayan has interpreted 'Vari' as water, which is not correct. Here Vari means that which should be abandoned or washed, or the evil deeds; Sutrakritang228 also mentions in preachings of Mahavir: 'Se variya itthi sarayabhattam '
Besides Jain literature the mention of Mahavir Vardhaman is also available in Pali Buddhist literature. Here he has been mentioned as Nigganth Nataputta and believed to be a senior contemporary of Buddha. According to the Nirvana years of Buddha and Mahavir, Buddha appears to be approximately 30 years younger to Mahavir. He has been recognised as one of the six Teerthankar contemporaries of Buddha. The references about him in the Pali literature have been thoroughly researched by Indian as well as Western scholars, As such I do not feel the need to discuss much about the subject here.
I would only like to discuss one point from Thergatha Atthakatha,229 that has been neglected by scholars. In the 196 TAYARIS Tag
