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Vol. XXIII, No 1
39
and His Times. 1974), bave not enhanced the features and we do not get an edequate picture of the development
Dr. Tiwary had tried to add in this work several salient descriptions of the Jaina works and the foreign accounts compresing the unearthed archaeological materials which constitute the chief source for the study of Jaina religion in Bihar. He includes the archeological materials from the neighbouring areas also which provides valuable information.
Statues of various Jaina Tirtharkaras have been found in different parts of Bihar. These are made of both stone and metal, The first authentic statue of a Jaina Tirthařkara has been recovered from Lohanipur at Patna. Several metal images of Tirtharkaras have also been discovered in recent excavations from North and South Bihar. Some temples of Digambaras and Svetaṁbaras of different ages are also found. The temples of Pārsvanath found at Rajgriha and Champāpuri are naturally of great importance.
Most of the Jaina Inscriptions, found and deciphered so far, bear date and therefore those become more important than the literary texts. Asoka has mentioned, in his idicts, the Nirgranths, wbich are Svetambaras. He also refers to Ajīvikas. They were separated from the Jainas with Mankhāliputta Gośāla but later on the religion was merged with Jainism, The Bürābar and Nāgāarjuni caves at Rajgriha were dedicated to Ājivikas during the reign of Asoka and Dasaratha. Several other evidences have also been brought to light by the author.
He narrates something important in his Last Phase of Jainism in Bihar, when he says that “In the age of commentary and Bhāsya, the Jaina religion could neither get state protection nor could it produce any great and influencial ascetic in Bihar. But this sacred land had still attraction for the Jainas. Therefore not only the intellectual teachers and authors but even the laymen maintained in incessant chain of religious visits to sacred places in this region like Rajgriha, Campa. Vaisali Sammeda Sikhara and Gayā etc, The Jaina preachers visited these places not only to preach their religion but also to make a full survey of the Jaina places they visited."
A lot of information is gathered on the history of Bihar from the Padma Carita of Acharya Ravisena of the 7th century A.D. It is learnt that during the regin of Harshavardhana, tbe Jaina religion was in flourishing condition in this region. Acharya Jinsena has also described in his text the flourishing condition of Jainism in this part of India. Acharya Haribhadra has also referred to Kusumpur Or
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