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Multifaceted symbiotic philosophy of Jainism and
its contemporary relevance and significance
Prof.S. R. Bhatt
Since times immemorial Indian culture has been characterized by the pursuit of two broad views of reality and ways of living. They are known as the Brāhmaṇic and the śramanic. Both have coexisted with crisscrossing and with mutual give and take. Both tried to understand the nature of reality for the betterment of human existence. The Brāhmaṇic view exhorted to took resort to suprahuman trans-worldly forces also along with human endeavour, the forces which were believed to be operating in the universe. The supreme source of all powers was named as Brāhmana and such cognate terms. The human infirmities and weaknesses gave impetus to this view. In the beginning the emphasis was on this worldly life and its prosperity but later on more emphasis was laid on supramundane life. The Śramaņic tradition however insisted on selfreliance, self-discipline and self-help to realize the goal of life. However, in later times devotion to divine beings was also incorporated as an incentive to human endeavour. It laid stress on trans-worldly life. The śramanic tradition has two schools, viz.,' Jainism and Buddhism. Both the schools interacted between them and also with Brāhmaṇic tradition. We have references to both these traditions in the Vedic literature. In subsequent literature also such references abound. Buddhist texts refer to Jaina thinkers and vice-versa. The ancient Jaina work Isibhāsiyāim and the Buddhist Tripitakas mention such interactions and cordiality among the Brāhmanic, Jaina and Buddhist traditions. Many scholars have dwelt on the references to the śramaņic tradition in the Vedas, the Upanişads, and in the Bhagavadgītā and the Purāņas. The two traditions not only co-existed bụt also interacted closely assimilating and absorbing immensely from each other. It is only in the later
