Studies in Jain Literature

Author(s): V M Kulkarni
Publisher: Shardaben Chimanbhai Educational Research Centre

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STUDIES IN JAIN LITERATURE
death, the interpretation of dreams14, and short treatises on town planning and the duties of the warrior15 and the art of governing (Nīti) 16_besides ornate descriptions of cities, mountains, rivers and the like in accordance with the rules laid down by Alaṁkārikas for a Mahākāvya. The same Ādi-Purāna mentions eight topics or subjects which a Purāna ought to deal with : (i) the universe (Loka), (ii) the country with its mountains, sea etc., (Deśa), (iii) the city or capital (Pura), (iv) Kingdom (Rājyam), (v) the life of a Jina which acts as a ford to cross the ocean of Samsāra (Tīrtha), (vi) giving of alms and donations and austerities (Dāna-tapas), (vii) the four conditions of existence such as hells etc., and (viii) the fruit of 'punya' and 'pāpa', the highest reward being ‘moksa’?. 7. A COMPARISON WITH THE HINDU EPICS AND PURĀŅAS
The Mahābhārata and the Rāmāyana and some of the oldest Puranas are undoubtedly older than the Jain Purānas. And these served the Jains as a model—though not a perfect one-in composing their epics about Rāma, Krsna and Purānas of the 63 prominent personalities. Broadly speaking the Jain Purānas and the Hindu Epics and Puranas treat of a large number of common subjects including biographies of Rāma, Krsna, origin of the universe, dissolution and recreation of the universe, the divisions of time assigned to Manus (Kulakaras), ancient royal genealogies, and accounts of persons mentioned therein; religious instruction, the four Purusārthas, viz., Dharma, Artha, Kāma and Moksa, the Tīrthas and the benefits which they confer on pilgrims, medicine, architecture, astrology, grammar, the rights and duties of a king, gnomic sayings both on morality and on worldly wisdom and the like.
The method of presentation adopted by the Jains is the same as that of the Hindus. The legends of the Tirthakaras and others are presented in the style of ornate epic following the compilers of the Hindu Purānas. Each Purāna is constructed as a discourse delivered by some person of authority to one or more hearers 18 : the subjects are expounded, often in the form of question and answer and not always methodically : and into the narration are woven stories and discourses uttered by other persons. These Purānas are mainly in verse. Like the Hindu Epics and Purānas which afford us insight into all aspects and phases of mediaeval Hinduism, the Jain Purānas too constitute a popular encyclopaedia of mediaeval Jainism-religious, philosophical, historical, social and cultural. 8. THE DISTINGUISHING FEATURES OF JAIN MYTHOLOGY
The Hindus have got besides the 18 Purānas proper, an equal number of secondary works of the same class called Upapurānas, the Jains have nothing to
correspond to these Upapurāņas. While the Hindu Purānas are primarily an