Study in the Origins and Development of Jainism

Author(s): S N Shrivastava
Publisher: Rekha Publication Gorakhpur

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A Study in the Origins and Development of Jainism
value. The entire Sūkta in which the vătarasanã Muni is mentioned does not fit in the cutlture-complex of the Rigveda. The vãtarasanã Muni appears to be quite an alien, when the description of vãtarasană Muni in the Rigveda and the account of the vãtarasană Sramana in the Bhāgawata Pūraņa are read together, it becomes almost clear that in this sūkta of the Rigveda there is a reference of the Śramaņas. Since Rişabha Nãtha is said to be the progenitor of the Śramaņas, it may be inferred that Risabha Nãtha was well known when this sūkta was composed. However, V.S. Pathak holds a different opinion". According to him the vātarasanã risis and munis mentioned in the Rigveda (x. 136), Taittirīya Āramyaka (1.23.2; 1-24, 2-5; 2.7) and Bhāgawata Pūraņa (5.3.20) are distinct from the Śramaņas. He has very succinctly brought out that the muni of the Rigveda, Taittirīya Āramyaka is an ascetic seeking transcendental knowledge through praṇopăsanã and has a profile quite distinct from Vedic sacrificers and śramaņas. Pathaka's elucidation is so brilliant that one can hardly disagree with him so far as the profile of müni is concerned. But the association of the Śramaņas with the Vătarasanās can hardly be denied. Neither the cannotaion of the term Vãtarasanã as fixed by Pathaka nor the time-gap between the Rigveda and the Taittiriya Aranyaka or between the latter and the Bhāgawata Pūrasa creates any problem in accepting the continuity of the Śramana tradition. It is also very difficult to agree with him that Risabha Nãtha of the Bhāgawata Pūraņa is district from Risabha Nãtha, the first Tirthańkara of the Jain tradition.
H. L Jain has identified Keśi of the Rigveda (x. 136) with Rişabha Nãtha?. He also sees a glimpse of Şişabha Nātha in some other verses of the Rigveda'. But viewed in the light of entire contexts his interpretations are quite unconvincing.
Though in the present state of our knowledge it is not possible to fix the place of Rişabha Nātha in historical time-scale, the historicity of an ascetic nemed Rişabha Nátha and his association with Jain tradition