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śramaņa, Vol 55, No. 1-6/January-June 2004
changed in the intervening period. The disciples of the first Tīrtharkara were simple and dull and found it difficult to comprehend the faith but having comprehended it they could practice it flawlessly. The disciples of the following twenty-two Tirtharkaras were simple and wise and they could interpret their instructions in the right perspective and act accordingly without close supervision. While the canonical instruction for them also proceeded along the same lines as for the disciples of the first Tirthankara, the ethical code for them prescribed only four great vows (they could understand that the fourth vow of detachment from all mundane pleasures also included sexual continence) of non-violence, truthfulness, non-theft and detachment from material and emotional belongings. They were discreet enough to judge the benefits and harms of a situation for themselves and could decide about their courses of action themselves rather than to follow detailed instructions for every aspect of their conduct, which was and is the case for the ascetics of the Śramanic orders of the first and the last Tirthankaras. They could stay in one place as long as they found it suitable. They could wear even the colourful clothes rather than to rain naked or to wear white clothes only. Also, they did not have to undertake the ritual observance of daily morning and evening retractory repentance for known and unknown flaws as they were alert enough to know when an infraction took place and to atone for it as and when required. The story of monk Thāvaccäputra in the Jñātādharmakathā'' and those of fifty-one spiritual aspirants of Bhagvān Aristanemi's time, mentioned in the Antakrddasanga" who liberated by virtue of their intense spiritual observances and severe penance, bear enough evidence to these facts about the Śramanic orders of these twenty-one Tirtharkaras. The śramaņa Tradition of Pārsvanātha -
There is ample evidence in the canonical works as well as in the explanatory literature on them about the Śramanic tradition of Bhagvān Pārsvanātha, who is accepted as a historical figure by the modern historians. He had lived and preached only two hundred and fifty years earlier than the time of Lord Mahāvīra.'? The evidence of the four dimensional faith of Lord Pārsvanātha, consisting of the four great vows, is available in the dialogue between Sramana Kesi of the monastic order of Lord Pārsvanātha: -' Gañadhara Gautama of Lord Mahāvira,
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