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VEDA AND JAIN TEXTS
In his Syādvādamañjarī Mallisena criticises Pūrvamīmāṁsā for its defence of yajñiya himsā and for its doctrine that the Veda is apauruseya. The point of yajñiya himsā has already been dealt with. Regarding the doctrine that the Veda is apauruşeya Mallisena says that the Veda is a heap of articulate sounds which demand a body with organs such as the palate, etc. and that language and its utterance can never be apauruseya and that every sentence has a certain tätparya (purport) which implies an author purusa-and is thus pauruseya.
In the two legends of King Nami and King Isukāra, Uttarādhyayana sets forth before us two models: one, of an ideal Vedic grhastha (householder) and two, of an ideal ascetic and establishes the superiority of the latter over the former. Considered dispassionately, however, it would seem that the Vedic ideal of a householder is very wholesome and in the interest of the society as a whole whereas the ascetic ideal is chiefly in the interest of an individual who seeks his own personal spiritual welfare.
Now, one very striking, interesting and unique phenomenon deserves our special attention. Although Jain texts, as a rule, criticise the Vedas, Ācārya Jinabhadra (c. 500-600 A. D.) is an exception. In vv 1549-2024, popularly known as Ganadharavāda, of his Višeşāvaśyakabhāsya, he cites a number of passages from Vedas, or rather Upanisads, which come at the end of the Vedas-which are sometimes also called the Vedas—with approval.
It is here necessary to give the background : Ganadharavāda deals with the conversion of Indrabhūti Gautama, Agnibhūti and nine other very learned Brāhmaṇas to Jainism. (They are later known as Ganadharas-chief disciples of Mahāvīra.) The topics discussed between Mahāvīra and Indrabhūti Gautama, etc., are: whether Jiva exists or not, whether karma exists or not and the like. These Brāhmaṇas with their hundreds of Brāhmana disciples are represented as highly influenced by the immense popularity of Mahāvīra and approach him with great curiosity. Seeing them Mahāvīra at once addresses them and reads their minds. He tells them about the doubts that trouble their minds regarding the existence or non-existence of jīva, karma, etc. He tells them that their doubts have their source in their failure to understand correctly the apparently contradictory Vedic passages. He offers their correct explanations; doubts are removed, and the clever Brāhmaṇas with their hundreds of disciples enter the order and become Mahävira's ardent followers. This is the frame-work of the whole Ganadharavāda.
By way of example a few sentences may be reproduced and discussed here; the sentences are :
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