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Sramaņa, Vol. 56, No. 7.9
July-September 2004
Jainism As Perceived by Huen-Tsang*
Dr. Arun Pratap Singh **
The records of the Chinese pilgrims who visited India for the purpose of knowing Buddha and his tenets are credible source of contemporary India. The first pilgrim whose writings have come down to us was Fa-hian. After him Sung-yun and Huen-tsang came the pious land of Buddha in the first half of the sixth and seventh century A.D. respectively. The last Chinese pilgrim enriching us by his writing was I-tsing who paid a visit in the last decades of the seventh century A.D. Of all them Huen-tsang deserves to be appreciated for his acumen and vide range of knowledge' while other pilgrims confined themselves only to Buddhist religion, Huen-tsang enriched us with the information of prevailing sects and cults of not only Buddhism but others too.
In this article I have endeavoured to focus the condition of Jaina religion during the visit of Huen-tsang. India was facing a turmoil period at that time. Imperial Guptas had disintegrated just before his coming and consequently a lot of small kingdoms were in offing. Jainism though slowly but steadily had spread almost all over India till this date but really its golden days had gone out for ever, never to return again as there was none to protect and provide royal facilities like Samprati and Khāravela; it was nevertheless still popular and was followed by a large population as we come to know from the records of Huen-tsang and other contemporary sources.
Huen-tsang informs us about the presence of Jaina followers in Kapisha? (Kia-pi-shi) and Simhapur (Sang-ho-pu-lo). According * Paper read at International Seminar on India's Perception Through Chinese Travellers held at Varanasi, Feb. 8-14, 2004. ** Reader, Ancient History Department, S.B.P.G. College, Dadar Ashram, Sikandarpur, Ballia - U.P.
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