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child was called Pārsvanātha.? As soon as the child was grown up, he became a “favourite of the people" for many acts of kindness to them. But he had higher aims and aspirations and was determined to realise these in his life. He lived 30 years as a householder and as soon as his parents passed away he made up his mind to leave the world. One day he went right through the town of Benares to the park called aśramapāda and proceeded to the excellent tree of aśoka. “For eighty-three days he neglected his body and meditated upon himself for eighty-three days."
practice of these servere austerities he reached the infinite, highest knowledge and intuition called kevala. He preached for full seventy years and starved himself to death, at last, on the mount Sameta śikhara in Bengal. He left behind him an excellent community of cight ganas with eight ganadharaş at their heads.
This is the traditional account of Pārsvanātha's career leaving all the grotesque details out of consideration. Let us see what historicity can be attributed to these traditions and what historical evidences are forthcoming to corroborate them. (4) Historical Evidences in support of the tradition
There is much to be said in favour of the Jaina tradition that Mahāvīra was no more than a reformer of an older Nigantha order founded by Pārsvanātha. In support of this tradition we have to say:
(i) Makkhali Gośāla who was an older contemporary of Mahāvīra, divided mankind into six classes - chalābhijātis. This division seems to have a reference to a separate Nigantha order, separate from that founded by Mahāvīra,' of the six divisions made by Gośāla, the Lohitābhijāti, the third division represents the Niganthas. The Niganthas who are placed in this "red class" are described as eka-sātākā or Bhikshus provided with one garment. We, therefore, take it to be an allusion to Pārsva's followers and not to those of Mahāvīra, since the latter were conspicuous by their disregard of clothes.
(ii) The dialogue between Kesi and Gautama in the Jaina Uttarādhyāyana Sūtra'' contains a distinct reference to two separate Nigantha orders - one existing previously and founded by Pārsvanātha of which Keśi was the representative in the time of Mahāvīra, and the other founded newly by Mahāvīra himself. The Acārānga Sūtralt again records that Mahāvīra's parents were worshippers of Pārsva and his Sramaņas and that they committed religious suicide according to the strict injunction of the Jaina rules of asceticism.
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