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Brāhmaṇic and Śramaņic Cultures : A Comparative Study
We cannot appreciate Indian culture completely without understanding its different constituents. i.e. Jainism, Buddhism, and Hinduism. So, one thing must be clear in our mind that studies and researches in the field of Indology are not possible in isolation. In fact, Jainism, Buddhism, and Hinduism are so intermingled and mutually influenced that to have a proper comprehension of one, the understanding of the others is essential.
However, two distinct trends have been pre dominating in Indian culture from its earliest days, known as Brahmanic and Sramanic. No doubt, these two trends are distinguishable but at the same time we must be aware of the fact they are not separable. Though on the basis of some peculiarities in theory, we can distinguish them yet in practice, it is very difficult to divaricate them because neither of the two remained uninfluenced by the other. The earlier Sramanic trends and its later phases, Jainism and Buddhism, were influenced by the Vedic tradition and vice a versa. The concept of tapas or austerity, asceticism, liberation, meditation, equanimity and non-violence, earlier absent in the Vedas, came into existence in Hinduism through Śramanic influence. The Upanisadas and the Gită evolved some new spiritual definitions of Vedic rituals. Both are the representatives of the dialogue taken place in Sramanic and Vedic traditions.
The Upanişadic trend of Hinduism is not a pure form of Vedic religion. It incorporated in itself various Sarmanic tenets which gave a new dimension to Vedic religion. Thus, we can say that our Hinduism is an intermingling of Vedic and Sramanic traditions. The vioce raised by our ancient Upanișadic Rsis, Munis and Sramanas against the ritualistic and worldly outlook of caste-ridden Brähminism, became more strong in the form of Jainism and Buddhism along with other minor Sramanic sects. Infact, the Upanişa- dic trend as well as Jainism and Buddhism provided refuge to those fed up with Vedic ritualism and the worldly outlook on life. Not only Jainism and Buddhism but some other sects and schools of Indian thought such as Ājivakas and Samkhyas also adopted more or less the same course towards Vedic ritualism. However, Jainism and Buddhism were more candid and vehement in their opposition towards Vedic ritualism. They outrightly rejected animal sacrifices in yajñas, the birth-based caste-system and the infallibility
of the Vedas. In Mahavira and Buddha, the most prominent preachers (exponents), we find the real crusaders; whose tirade, against caste-ridden and ritualistic Brähminism, touching a low water-mark and crumbling under its inner inadequacies, gave a severe jolt to it. Jainism and Buddhism came forward to sweep away the long accumu-lated excrescence, grown on Indian culture in the form of rituals, casteism, and superstitions.
But we shall be mistaken if we presume that in their attempt to clear away the dirt of Vedic ritualism, Jainism and Buddhism remained untouched. They were also considerably influenced by Vedic rituals. Ritualism, in the new form of Tantric practices, crept into Jainism and Buddhism and became part and parcel of their religious practices and mode of worship. With the impact of Hindu Tantricism, Jainas adopted various Hindu deities and their mode of worship with some changes, which were suited to their religious temperament but were alien to Jainism in its original form. The Jaina concept of Sāšana Devatā or
Yakşa-Yakṣis is nothing but a Jaina version of Hindu deities. As I have pointed out earlier, the influence has been reciprocal. This can be demonstrated by the fact that on one side Hinduism accepted Rşabha and Buddha as incarnation of God while on the other Jainism included Rāma and Krsna in its list of Salākā Purusas. A number of Hindu Gods and Goddesses were accepted as consorts of Tirthankaras such as Sarasvati, Lakşmi, Kali, Mahākāli, Cakreśvari, Ambikä, Padmăvati and Siddhika.
The moot point I intend to make is that different religious traditions of our great Indian culture have borrowed various concepts from one another and that it is the duty to study and highlight this mutual impact, which is the need of the hour, and thus bridge the gulf existing between different religious systems.
Though it is true that the Sramanic tradition, in general and Jainism and Buddhism, in particular have some distinct features discriminating them from the Vedic or Brāhmaṇic tradition, yet they are not foreigners. They are the children of the same soil who came forward with a spitit of reform. It is sometimes mistakenly thought that Jainism and Buddhism were a revolt against Brămhanism. Western scholars in particular maintain this notion. But here I would like to say that it was not revolt but reform. In fact. Vedic
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