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Modern scholars have accepted the view of Jainism as a PreAryan Religion. It was not founded by Mahavira. The first tirthankara is Rsabha. It is the sramana religion. In the introduction to Uttaradhyayana sutra Dr. Charles Carpentier says that Jaina religion is certainly older than Mahavira, "His reputed predecessor Parsva having almost certainly existed as a real person, and that, consequently, the main points of the original Doctrine may have been codified long before Mahavira.37
Dr. Radhakrishnan says that Jainism as a Pre-Aryan Religion which prevailed even before Parsva and Mahavira the last two tirthankaras. 38 Zimmer says that Jainism reflects the cosmology and Anthropology of a much older Pre-Aryan Upper class of North-India. 39 Jacobi has traced Jainism to early primitive currents of Metaphysical speculations. 40 Many Western Scholars like, Vincent Smith and Furlong, have accepted the Pre-Aryan prevalence of Jaina Religion. Hiralal Jain has interpreted the mention of the word Kesi in the Rgveda as referring to the first tirthankara Rṣabha. When Buddhism arose Jainism was already in existence as the ancient sect with its strong-hold near Vaisali which was visited and admired by the Buddha.
Study of Jainism
REFERENCES:
1. Kalpa-sutra-tirthankara-varṇand (Hindi)
2. Madhyakalina Bharatiya Samskrti (Samskaraṇa-Hindi-1951 pp. 13.
3. Radhakrishnan. (S): Indian Philosophy (Allen Unwin. 1945) Vol. I, pp. 287.
5.
4. Jacobi (H): Sacred Books of the East XXII-Introduction.
Mc-Donnel: Vedic Mythology pp. 316.
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