WHAT'S HOT
Prev | Current Page 23 | Next

??hler, Johann Georg, 1837-1898

"On the Indian Sect of the Jainas"

[Footnote: For the Jaina ritual, see
_Indian Antiquary_. Vol. XIII, pp. 191-196. The principal sacred
places or Tirthas are--Sameta ['S]ikhara in Western Bengal, where twenty
of the Jinas are said to have attained Nirva[n.]a; ['S]atrunjaya and
Girnar in Kathiawa[d.] sacred respectively to [R.]ishabhanatha and
Neminatha; Chandrapuri where Vasupujya died; and Pawa in Bengal at which
Vardhamana died.--Ed.] This influence of the laity has become, in course
of time, of great importance to Indian art, and India is indebted to it
for a number of its most beautiful architectural monuments, such as the
splendid temples of Abu, Girnar and ['S]atrunjaya in Gujarat. It has also
brought about a change in the mind of the ascetics. In many of their hymns
in honour of Jina, they appeal to him with as much fervour as the
Brahma[n.] to his gods; and there are often expressions in them, contrary,
to the original teaching, ascribing to Jina a creative power. Indeed a
Jaina description of the six principal systems goes so far as to number
Jainism--as also Buddhism--among the theistic religions. [Footnote: The
latter assertion is to be found In the _Sha[d.]dar['s]anasamuchchaya_
Vers. 45, 77-78. A creative activity is attributed to the Jinas even in
the Kuhaon inscription which is dated 460-461 A.D. (_Ind. Antiq_.
Vol. X, p. 126). There they are called _adikartri_ the 'original
creators'.


Pages:
11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35