Samayasara

Author(s): A Chakravarti
Publisher: Bharatiya Gyanpith

Page 97

INTRODUCTION
79
Jainist must have been prevalent in India nearly three centuries prior to Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism. Though writers of Cambridge History of India did not go beyond Lord Parsva, we may point out the fact that Jainism was in existence even prior to this period. The Tirthakkara prior to Lord Parśva, the 22nd Tirthankara, according to the Jaina tradition is Lord Aristanemi, who is said to have attained his Nirvana on the Mount Girnar in Junagadha State, which is a place for pilgrimage for the presentday Jainas. This Ariştanemi was a cousin of Sri Krşpa of Mahabharata famé and the name Ariştanemi occurs in Vedic literature as one of the great Rşis. This Jaina tradition circumstantially supported by non-Jaina Vedic literature may also be accepted as having some historical basis. If Sri Kripa of Mahabharata war is accepted as having some historical basis then we have to accept the history of Ariştanemi also. According to the Jaina tradition, there were twenty-four Tirtharkaras beginning with Lord Vrşabha and ending with Mahavira Vardhamana. Of these the last three may be taken to be personalities of the historic period. The rest are persons of prehistoric age and we need not trouble ourselves about their history till we know something more than merely tradition. The first of these Tirthankara Lord Vrşabha who is considered by the Jainas to be responsible for revealing Ahimsa Dharma for the first time to the world seems to be a very interesting personality. According to the Jaina tradition, he was a hero of the Ikşyaku family. His father was Nabi Mahārāja, the last of the Manus and his mother Mārudeví. Vrşabha's period represents a complete change of World conditions. Prior to this the country was called Bhoga Bhumi where the people were satisfied with all their wants by the mere wish through the help of the traditional kalpakavşkşa. During the time of Lord Rşabha these happy conditions completely disappeared and the people were in a perplexity as to the way of life which they were expected to carry. Then they all went to Lord Rşabha praying for help. He is said to have consoled them by showing the way of life. He taught them how they could obtain food by tilling the soil, that they should take upto agriculture for the production of food, which they could obtain in plenty by their own toil in spite of the fact that the Kalpakavşkşas disappeared. He taught some other people to carry his agriculture-produce to different peoples and supply to those that were in need. He again set apart a number of able-bodied men for the purpose of defence. Thus the first social organisation owes its existence to Lord Vrşabha who divided the society according to its functions into three groups, agriculturists, traders, and soldiers. After ruling over his kingdom for several years, he abdicated his throne in favour of his son, Lord Bharata and went into the forests to perform tapas. After the practice of tapas for several years he attained Kaivalyajñana or. Omniscience : then he went about from place to place preaching his Ahimsa dharma to the people of the land, so that they may also have spiritual relief. Thus Lord Rsabha is known among the Jainas as Adijina, Adi Bhagavān and so on,