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THE WORLD OF JAINISM
अहिंसा सर्वभूतानामतत् कृत्यतमं मतम् । एतत् दमनुद्धिग्नं वरिष्ठं धर्मलक्षणम् ॥
Ahimsa is the greatest virtue-this is the view of the elders. This virtue is without ill will; it is superior and the sign of Dharma.
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अहिंसा परमो धर्मस्तथा हिंसा परमं परो दमः । अहिंसा परमं दानमहिंसा परमं तपः ॥
- महा • अनु० पर्व ११६-२८
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Ahimsa is the greatest religion (dharma), the greatest punishment (dama) and the greatest penance (tapa).
अहिंसा परमो यज्ञस्तथाहिंसा परं फलम् । अहिंसा परमं मित्रमहिंसा परमं सुखम् ॥ • महा • अनु० पर्व ११६-२९
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Ahimsa is the greatest sacrifice, the greatest result, the greatest friend and the greatest happiness.
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However, although Ahimsa was eulogized, yet it was not completely accepted as the norm of social life till the time of the Mahabharata. But the ground was prepared where it could have been accepted as the basis of religion. By this time there was complete synthesis and harmony between the Sramana dharma and the Brahmana dharma. In order to completely infuse this spirit in life the Brahmana dharma founded Asrama dharma, wherein the life was divided into four periods. In these four periods a man was supposed to fulfil his social obligations as well as he was required to follow the path of renunciation. Sramana dharma did not prescribe any such Asrama dharma and laid more stress on renunciation irrespective of age.
Parsvanatha who was born about 2800 years ago tried to make non-violence, truth, non-stealing and non-acquisition as the religion of common man. Acquisition included along with wealth, wife also. Therefore, non-acquisition implied the renunciation of wife or the practice of celebacy (bramacharya). These four cardinal virtues (caturyama) expounded by Parsvanatha were later developed into five cardinal virtues (pancamahavrata) by Mahavira. More or less the same principles were expounded by the Buddha and Jesus Christ. In Buddhism these virtues are known as eightfold path. (astangikamarga) and in Christianity they are called the Ten Commandments. Thus,
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