Study of Jainism

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

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CHAPTER-3
1) Rşabhadeva, the first tirthankara, laid the foundations of Jaina Religion in the last part of the 3rd phase of the Avasarpini eon. It was later for the other 23 tirthankaras in the next phase of the eon to elaborate the teachings and carry the traditions of Jaina religion. This is in the 4th phase of the Avasarpiņi eon which may be described with the characteristic of dukkha-sukha. This was the beginning of the Kộta yuga. Among them Ajita, Sambhava, Abhinandana, Sumati, Padmaprabha, Suparsva, Candraprabha, Puspadanta, Sitala, Sreyaṁsa, Vasupūjya, Vimala, Anantanatha, Dharmanatha, S'anti, Kunthu, Arahanarha and Mallinatha, preached the Jaina religion from time to time according to the needs of the people for the satisfaction of the hunger and thirst for righteous. ness. These 18 tirthankaras gave the elaborate study of Rşabha's teachings. Then we come to the stage of the end of proto-history in the life of the next tirthankara Munisuvrata. Munisuvrata can be traced to the period of Rāmāyaṇa at the time of Rama-Ravaņa. We are now nearing the period of history with the firmer footprints on the sands of time. The later tirthankaras can be fixed in the march of time, as historical figures. For instance, the tirthankara Nami can be placed between Ramayana and Mahabharata. Then comes the 22nd tirthankara Aristanê mi about whom we have sufficient evidences to show the probability of his being a historical figure. He was the cousin of Lord Krisna of the Mahabharata of the Yadavakula. If Srikrišņa is to be considered as a historical figure, there should be no reason to deny the historicity of Aristanēmi also called Nēminatha The next tirthankara is Parsvanátha the 23rd tirthankara. His historicity has been established. The lasi tirthankara Vardhamana Mahavira was certainly a historical figure who preached Jainism in the Licchari and Magadha countries, 250 years after the nirvāņa of Parsvandtha. There is no reason to doubt the historicity of Vardhamana Mahavira. He lived in the 6th century B.C. and he was the senior contemporary of Gautama. th Buddha. In this chapter we shall take a brief picture of the lives and teachings of the 22nd tirthankara Nēminatha and the 23rd tirthankara Parsvanatha.
Before we proceed to consider the lives and teachings of these two tirthankaras, we have to be aware that the references in the Canonical texts and the Vedic classics have to be objectively studied