Study of Jainism

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

Page 56

Other Tirthankaras
There are references to Ariştanēmi in the Rgveda in four places. Sonie scholars are of the opinion that Arisfanēmi has been referred to in the Chandogya-Upanişad as Ghora Angirasa Rşi 3 Angirasa preached the path to the realisation of the self to Krisņa, which consisted of Rjubhava, tapas (asceticism) dana (charity), ahinsa (non-violence) and Satyavacana (truth speaking). Dharmananda Kosambi, the eminent Buddhist scholar, maintains that Nēminatha was called Ghora Angirasa.* Radhakrishnan says that Yajurveda refers to Rşabha, Ajita and Arişğanēmias tirthankaras. 6 In the Yajurveda and Samaveda, as in the Rgveda, Arisťanémi has been referred to as "Tarksa Aristanēmi'. The Mahabharata gives a description of the teaching of the mokṣa marga by Ariştaně mi to King Sagara. This teaching must have been given by the Sramaņa tirthankara, as, at the time of Sagara, the Vedic thought was not giving importance to the concept of Mokşa. Modern scholars are agreed that there is reason to suppose that the historicity of Neminatha need not be denied. Col. Todd says that according to him there were four great men, the four Buddhas in ancient times, the first was Ādinatha and the second was Nēminatha. Néminatha may also be identified with the Scandinavian first Odin and the first deity of the Chinese called 'Fo'.? As mentioned earlier we are entering the precimpts of history with Arişğanēmi.
Aristanēmi was born in Souripura, the capital of a Republic in the ancient sense.8 This can be located near Batesvara on the banks of the Jamuna in the district of Āgra. The capital had dual rule in the sense that one part of the city was ruled by Vasudeva. He had two wives-Rohiņi and Devaki. Lord Krişna was the son of Devaki and Balarāma was the son of Rohini. The second part of the kingdom was ruled by Samudravijaya. Siva was his queen. She had four sons : Ariştanēmi, Rathanēmi, Satyanémi and Dhrd hané mi. Aristanê mi became the 22nd tirthankara and his two brothers Satyanēmi and Rathanēmi were the 'pratyeka buddhas'.10 According to Acarya Jinasena Aristanēmi was born on the thirteenth day of lunar fortnight of Vaisakha. 11 But Svetambara tradition considers the 5th day of the lunar fortnight of Sravana as the birthdate of the tirthankara.12 Aristanēmi belonged to Harivansa and Vrşni Kula. He was, therefore, called Vrsni pungava. The