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 9

N. P. Joshi
Nirgrantha
iv. Rşabha's sacred tree (caitya-vrksa) is the ficus tree (vata-vrksa) which, according
to the Purānas, is the form of siva, others being the Pipala and Paläsa trees representing Vişnu and Brahmā respectively. The banyan tree is the caitya-vrksa of no other Tirthankara.
v. According to the Digambaras, the Nirvana-sthāna of Rsabha is mount Kailasa, which
is the permanent abode of Śiva.
vi. According to the Medini-kośa, the term Rsabha-dhvaja stands both for Rsabha and
Śiva. So is the term Ādinātha, which denotes the first Tirthankara Rsabha as well as Siva, the Founder Teacher of the Nātha Sect.
Rşabha
This brings us to Rsabha, who finds mention as an avatāra of Visnu in the Bhāgavata“7 as well as the Skandapurāņa". Neither of the two specifically call him Jaina pontiff49. The Skanda names his dharma as paramahamsya and mentions Nābhi and Marudevi as his parents. This is acceptable to the Jaina tradition.
The Bhāgavata devotes four chapters for the Rşabha-carita and discusses his preachings at length, but apparently there is no indication of their being connected with the Jaina philosophy. This Purāņa, too, calls Rsabha's dharma as paramahansya-dharma. According to this Purāņa, Rsabha, in the later part of his life, went wandering to the southern countries like Konka, Venka, Kutaka, etc. and met his end in a jungle fire in southern Karnataka. Thus the Purāņa holds that Rsabha himself did not advocate any heterodox faith, but further adds that in the Kaliyuga, Arhat, a king of Końka, Venka and Kutaka -- would study Rşabha's teachings and misinterpreting them will establish Pakhanda-mata or heterodox faith, which would be embraced by people for generations after generations and subsequently they all would be sent to the darkest naraka (tamasyāndhe) or hell.
Obviously, the Bhāgavatapurāņa distinguishes between Rşabha and Arhat, dissociates Rşabha from Jainism, and makes Arhat responsible for propagating the heterodox doctrines based on misinterpreted views of Rsabha.
The Buddha
The Puranas like the Matsyaso, the Agnisl the Varāha 2, the Padmas, the Skanda S4 and the Bhagavatas accept Buddha as the ninth incarnation of Visnu, while a few others like the Vişnu, the Väyu, and the Brahma altogether omit him. In spite of accepting Buddha as an incarnation of Vişnu or even at times speaking of him in high terms like Prajñāpāramiteśvara, Akhila-krpa, Akhilestada, Jagatpriya (VI. 71. 277-79), nobody