Study of Jainism

Author(s): T G Kalghatgi
Publisher: Prakrit Bharti Academy

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Study of Jainism
introduced the use of navigational facility for crossing the rivers and the use of Ladders for climbing the trees and hills. The kulankara Prasenajit introduced the system of marrying girls from other groups and clans. So far the brother and the sister used to live together. We find similar references in the Rgveda where Yama advised his sister Yami to desist from amorous gestures. In the Old Testament the story of Adam and Eve points out to the prevalence of such a practice. Nabhiraja was the last Kulankara, who introduced the procedure of separating the Nabhi (navel chord) of a new born infant.4 In the Mahapurana Jinasendcdrya described that Nabhiraja taught men to distinguish between different types of fruit, wholesome and unwholesome. He also taught the art of preparing earthen pots. 6 Jinasendcarya mentions 14 kulankaras and Nabhiraja was the last kulankaras. There is difference of opinion among the scholars regarding the number of kulankaras. The S'vetämbara canonical literature like Sthananga 6 Samayāyanga ? and Bhagavati 8 have mentioned 7 kulankaras. In the Digambara literature like Mahapurana o Harivaṁsapuranalo and Poumacari yam 11 there is mention of 14 kulankaras.
Nabhiraja was a towering personality. In the Srimad Bhagavata also it has been mentioned that Nabhiaja was the eldest of the nine sons of Agnindhra and Agnindhra was the son of Priyavrata and Priyavrata was the son of Svayambhuva who was the Ādimanu. 12 Nabhiraja was also called Manu. By this time men had learnt to work and the world had become the Karma bhūmi where it was necessary to work for survival. New problems for existence and survival arose and Nabhiraja tried to find satisfactory solutions to them. Nabhiraja was also considered to be the 1st Kșatriya. Ācārya Hemacandra in his Abhidhana cintamaņi calls him the Kșatriya. 18 Ācarya Jinasena says that Nabhiraja, like the Moon, was an inspiration and a support for art : like the Sun he was full of splendour and like Indra he was full of prosperity ; like Kalpavşkşa he was competent to fulfil the desires to men. 14. Nabhi was also called Ajanabha and the Arya Khanda was earlier called Nabhikhaņda. In the Srimad Bhagavata the Ajanabhavarşa was later called Bharata Varşa.15
Marudevi was the queen of Nabhirdja and Rsabha was born as a son of Nabhi and Marudevi, Acarya Manatunga gives a beautiful