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OPINION
The Adyar Library Bulletin.
Śranaņa Bhagavān Mahāvira (Vols I-IV Part 1 only of each ) by Muni Ratna Prabha Vijayaji. Śrî Granthaprukāšaka Sabhā Pānjrā Pole Ahmedabad 1941-12.
." Jainism and Buddhism are perhaps the most ancient of the religions that rose in opposition to Hinduism, dominated by priestly ritualism. The former of these two is generally accepted to date from an earlier date. But the religions start with opposing the authority of the Vedas, and this is perhaps the most important common ground. The differences between the two religions are far too many; the most striking of these, barring doctrinal differences which are too obvious, is that while Buddha is the real founder of Buddhism, his first sermon as well as the doctrines he preached then, being those which are ever to be remembered by his followers; Mahāvîra with whose name only History can associate the birth of Jainism, is regarded by those that follow him as only a prophet whose business has been to hand over to the world the principles enunciated by his predece. ssors, the twenty-three Tîrthankaras who lived before him.
It is the object of the Four Volumes under review to give an account of the life of this Sramaņa Bhagavān Mahāvīra, the 24th Tirthankara of the Jains. The first of these gives an account of fifteen out of the twenty-six previous lives of Mahāvîra; and the second deals with the twenty-seventh life. The third starts the exposition of the Gañadhara-vāda, an explanation of the doubts of the Gañadharas,-the eleven disciples of Mahāvīra. The fourth volume gives an account of the Gañadharas. The treatment of the subject is on the whole quite good, but statements like, “ There is a reference of Risabha-deva, Ajitnātha and Aristanemi in Yajurveda." (Introduction to Volume II. p. 3) could
Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat
www.umaragyanbhandar.com
