________________
Vol. XXV, 2002 JAINISM : A PROMINENT LIVING INDIGENOUS CULTURE 129
This crusade went on with such a vigour till 8th century A. D. that, but for the advent of the great Šankara, who assimilated śramana ideas of Buddhism with his brilliant exposition of Vedānta. Vedic culture would have been practically eclipsed throughout India. Now the śramanica ideas of non-violence, karma, soul have become so much identified with the Vedic culture that there is absolutely no difference between the attitude of a Jaina and a Hindu towards life's problems, individual or social. These attitudes are so identical that unless one tells you that he is a Jaina by religion you cannot make out from his behaviour that he is a non-vedic by faith.
The use of the word Jaina-Dharma'
Jainism, the oldest humanistic religion was primarily called simply Dharma or mānavadharma' or Magga (the path); in the Indus valley days of Rsabha cult; by the Vedic people as vrātya religion or Ahimsā-dharma; in the time of the Upanisadas as Ārhata Dharma or Ātmadharma; in the Buddha's time as Nigantha Dharma; in the Indo-Greek and Indo-Scythian periods as sramana Dharma; in the so-called Hindu periods as Syādvād Mata or Anekāntavādin. Hence, Jainism was prevailed as a religion from the very ancient time upto the present day. Now, the question raised when and why the word 'Jaina' was used to define this religion as 'Jaina dharma'.
As tradition defines that Jainism is a religion propounded by a Jina. A Jina means a conqueror, that is one who conquered the worldly passions by one's own strenuous efforts. He is not a supernatural being nor an incarnation of an all-powerful God. Human beings are entitled to become Jinas and as such Jinas are persons of this world who have attained supreme knowledge, subjugated their passions and are free from any sort of attachment. Jainism is nothing but a set of principles preached by such persons. On the contrary, it is a religion of purely human origin and it has emanated from the mouth of a dignitary who has secured the omniscience and self-control by his own personal efforts. In short, Jainism is the substance of preachings of dignitaries who have attained of the state of Jinas. 36
Jainism is a religion based on the preachings and principles of Jinas, hence the canonical Jain texts like sūtrakstānga, Uttarādhyayana, Daśavai kālika etc. the words Jinapravacana, Jinamārga, Jinasāsana etc. have been used. But the "Vaina-Dharma' has been used for the first time probably in the
Jain Education International
For Personal & Private Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
