Vaishali Institute Research Bulletin 4

Author(s): R P Poddar
Publisher: Research Institute of Prakrit Jainology & Ahimsa Mujjaffarpur

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Vai hali Institute Research Bulletin No. 4
The second evil infesting an Indian society is the treatment meted to women. In the Vedic period the women were practically reduced to the level of Shudras. They were denied several rights enjoyed by the men. Even in later days women had no right to education and property. Mahavira set himself to the emancipation of women class. He removed the various restrictions imposed on women especially in the practice of religion. Both the sexes were given equal opportunity in entering into the ascetic order and in rules of conduct, study of sacred texts, penance and making spiritual progress. The female householders were called Shravakas and female ascetics were called Sadhvis. The importance of imparting education to women along with men was realised by Rishavadeva, the first Tirthankara. He advised his two young daughters, Brahmi and Sundari to adorn their life with highest education.
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The last but not the least evil in our society is that we are dependent on the favour of God in everything. We do not exert, ourselves as we ought and rest content with our lot saying what is lotted cannot be blotted. This fatalistic attitude is eating into the roots of Indian society. The Jaina thought is for a change in our attitude towards God. The popular belief that God controls the events in the world led to complete dependence on God. Tirthankara Mahavir asserted that the world was eternal and was not a creation of God. He inculcated a belief in the theory of Karma. There is no way out to avoid the fruits of one's actions. Man is the doer of actions and he must bear the fruits of his actions There is no salvation unless the fruits of karmas have been enjoyed. One can attain salvation by his own actions and not by the grace of God. This doctrine means that man should become self-reliant and should not refrain from doing good actions. Right faith, Right knowledge and Right conduct are three means by which man can attain the highest goal in life. Now a society in which every individual lives an ethical life according to the Jaina principle is bound to rise. If the individual takes care of himself, the society will take care of itself.
In the light of what I have said of the Jaina thinking towards Society and social problems, my intention is not to assert that Jaina philosophers were social philosophers. I hold that Jaina thinking is primarily religious and metaphysical. But my modest claim is that Jaina system of thought was not oblivious of the social problems and that their thinking may fruitfully apply in solving the riddles of social philosophy.