Study of Jainism

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

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Study of Jainism
Jinasena, Rşabha taught the subjects how to extract the sugarcane juice.29 In the Daśavaikalika Cūrpi he has been referred to a Kas yapa. 30
Rşabha was married to Yasaswati and Sunandă, two beautiful girls of Kaccha and Mahakaccha 31. The Bhagavata Purana mentions the name of one of the girls he married as Jayanti. 32 It is possible that Sunanda was called Jayanti. In the Āvasyaka Cūrņi 88 it has been mentioned that Sunanda has been described as the beautiful girl who was found in the forest by Nabhiraja and Nabhiraja got her married to Rşabha. There is no mention of this in the Digambara literature. He had 98 sons and one daughter called Brahmi by Yasaswati. Bharata was the eldest son, Sunanda had one son called Bahubali, and a daughter named Sundari. The Svetämbara canonical literature and Bhagavata Purana mention slightly different versions of the number of children that Rşabha had.
The oage in which Rşabha lived was a transitional period. It was an age when the old traditions were fading and new values were yet to assert themselves Man lived with one foot in the past and the second lifted to be placed in the new social environment yet to be found Nomadic life had ceased Family and social stability were yet to be established. Population was gradually increasing and natural and social resources did not appear to be adequate to the requirements. The result was the emergence of the intensity of the propensity of acquisition asserting itself, and thereby promoting the tendency to crime. It was, therefore, necessary to formulate the codes of conduct in social and political sphere. It was necessary to formulate the punitive scheme for the health of the society. With a view to establishing a stable social order, Nabhi, as a kulankara, organised the people into a polity: and Rsabha was coronated as the first king. (Rājā) with political authority. This was the first kingdom in Society and Rşabha was the first king to be installed at the request of the people. In this sense Acarya Jinasena called him the kulankara and also tirthankara 84 The Capital of his kingdom was Vinitanagari (Ayodhyā). Rşabha, with his political authority formulated the scheme of punitive law for