Teachers of Heterodox Sects Buddhism and Jainism in eyes of Puranas

Author(s): N P Joshi
Publisher: Z_Nirgrantha_1_022701.pdf and Nirgrantha_2_022702.pdf and Nirgrantha_3_022703.pdf

Page 11

N. P. Joshi
Nirgrantha
Saturday her younger sister Lakşmi pays her a visit, and therefore, on that day alone one should worship the tree and enjoy permanent stay of riches with him62.
Epilogue
The above discussions would show that the deep-rooted influence of the heterodox faiths on society was felt by the Puranas also and has been expressed in the following ways:
i.
The heterodox views were allowed to be spread in the society to misguide the powerful enemies of the Devas, speciallly the Daityas. Visnu had taken this responsibility upon his shoulders.
ii. This trick was played against the mortal enemies of the Devas like the sons of Rāji
and King Divodása.
iii. King Vena was punished for embracing the heterodox faith and a commoner named
Tuladhara was also put to test by this method.
iv. Besides Visnu, even Bịhaspati and Śiva played the role of heterodox teachers.
v. Worship of the image of the Buddha, even though he was accepted as an incarnation
of Visnu, was tabooed; but, if the Buddha's worship was a must and difficult to avoid, use of an image of Visnu instead was recommended.
vi. There is a close resemblance between Rsabha and Siva.
vii. Aśvattha, Vata, and Paläsa trees enjoyed sanctity as representatives of Visnu, siva,
and Brahmā; but touching Aśvattha on days other than Saturday was totally tabooed.
ix. References to Jainism are more in number than those to Buddhism, but perhaps to
balance the wider spread and influence of Buddhism, the Buddha was accepted as an incarnation of Visnu by a larger number of authorities.
Perhaps to meet this very situation in the realm of icons, some of the sculptors adopted a different course. Iconographical canons often describe composite figures of deities like Hari-Hara-Pitāmaha, Hari-Har=Ārka, Hari-Hara-Sürya-Pitāmaha, Brahmeśänarka, etc. On the same pattern some of the sculptors of Bengal made composite images of Sürya-Lokeśvara and Hari-Hara-Buddha. Such examples are of course very rare, but no figure of Vişnu or Siva-Rşabha, or for that matter any other Tirthankara has yet been reported.