Shraman Bhagvana Mahavira Part 1

Author(s): Ratnaprabhvijay, D P Thaker
Publisher: Parimal Publication

Page 15

OPINIONS.
The Adyar Library Bulletin
of The Theosophical Society. Adyar, Madras.
"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, Mahavira 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 predecessors,-the twenty-three Tirthankaras who lived before him
It is the object of the Four Volumes under review, to give an account of the life of this Sramana Bhagavan Mahavira, the 24th Tirthankara of the jains The first of these, gives an account of fifteen out of the twenty-six previous lives of Mahavira, and the second deals with the twenty-seventh life The third starts the exposition of the Ganadhara-vada, an explanation of the doubts of the Ganadharas,-the eleven disciples of Mahavira The fourth volume gives an account of the Ganadharas. The treatment of the subject is on the whole quite good, but statements like, 'There is a reference of Risabha-deva, Ajitnatha and Aristanemi in Yajurveda❞ (Introduction to Volume III. p. 3) could have been avoided I cannot trace the word Ajitanatha in the Yajurveda, in its Sukla or Taittriya recension The words Risabha and Aristanemi do occur in this Veda, but it is in the highest degree questionable whether these Vedic words mean what they connote in Jainism.
For Private Personal Use Only