Some Aspects of Jainism in Eastern India

Author(s): Pranabananda Jash
Publisher: Munshiram Manoharlal Publisher's Pvt Ltd New Delhi

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The Parivrajakas
sacrifice remained an important part of the ritual, though its practice was restricted to the twice-born castes, the priests and aristocrats and on occasion to the affluent members of the commercial class. The other tendency that of philosophical speculation, which had its roots, in the Rgva da itself, led gradually to the rise of a number of sects each seeking an explanation of the universe by a different method or a combination of different methods. The most important among these sects were the Buddhists, the Ājivikas, and the Nirgranthas or the Jainas.
The common folk used to worship trees in the form of VỊkșa devatās, the Nāgas (the serpent-worship), the Yakşas and the
as. The ancient literature contains abundant references o their worship. The Nägas were worshipped both in the form of serpents and human being. The first is called Sarpavigrala. Generally females desiring children used to worship such images in the form of cobras. The human form, known as Mānavarigraha, had usually the figure of a male or female having the serpent hoods on the back of the head.
From the Buddhists and Jaina literatures we learn that Yakşacult had a wide popularity in northern India. We read about the names of such powerful Yakşas as Umabaradatta, Surambara, Manibhadra, Bhandira, Sūlapāņi Supriya, Ghanţika and Puranabhadra. Similarly we come across such names of the Yakşinis as Kunti, Națā, Bhattā, Revati; Tamasuri, Lokā, Mekhalā, Alikā, Bendā, Maghā, Timisikā, etc.-3 People were afraid of them and used to pay homage to these so called semi-divine figures. Barring these so-called semi-divine figures for the common people i.e. the villagers, the peasants, the craftsman and the tradesman, there was a great variety of popular magic to which they might have resorted for comfort, guidance, peace of mind, protection from evil, and so on.
Another interesting characteristic which was current in this part of India during the period under review was the prevalence of a number of superstitious beliefs. We read about the following kinds of animistic hocuspocus followed by the people of the region especi: lly of Madhyadeśa. A list of these magical practices is given in one of the discourses of the Buddha.4 They are described by the Buddha as 'low arts and are of the kind practised by certain of the Brāhmaṇas and Sramanas. They jncluded such activities as "palmistry, divination of all sorts, auguries drawn