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TĪRTHANKARA MAHĀVĪRA
Antiquity of Jainism
Whatever exists in the name of Jaina literature is post-Mahāvīra. No doubt there are references to Pārsva and other Tirtharkaras but only on their authority nothing can be proved or disproved. We should take into account the other ancient and contemporaneous literature and also archaeological and other evidences.
In the Vedic literature we find names like Rsabha, Aristanemi and such others but by mere names nothing can be proved. At the most we can say that such names were common in those days. Nothing more than that can be said. Life of Rsabha narrated in the Bhāgavata can probably prove this much that he was a wel-known person in the Purānic tradition also or that the story of Rsabha as described by the Jainas so attracted the attention of the author of Bhāgavata that he in his own way adapted it. Or, it can be said that in Rsabha Vedic and nonVedic authors found a person whom they could accept equally. But all this does not prove that Rsabha was the first founder of Jainism in the period of time which is beyond our capacity to count. The words such as Kesin or Vātarsanā in the Vedas can prove nothing more than what they primarily mean. The tenets that go by the name of Jainism cannot definitely be suggested by those simple words. There is no archaeological or such other proof lying outside the pale of the Jaina literature to prove the existence of Jainism even before 1000 B. C. The nude images found in Mohen-jo-Daro can prove nothing more than that they are nude. On the basis of those nude images some may say that in those days yoga-tradition was prevalent among the people of Mohen-jo-Daro. But this is simply a conjecture. We can say nothing definitely until the seals found there are deciphered. Indra is called Purandara because he destroyed Puras or cities. And it is said that he killed Yatis. We do not know as to who these Yatis were. This much can be conjectured that Indra was responsible for the destruction of the city civilization and he had some enmity with these Yatis. Whether or not to connect
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