Tag: jainism, buddhism and ajivika philosophy in tamil nadu

In order to spread the teachings of Jainism, Mahavira organised an order of his followers which admitted both men and women. Lord Mahavir was the twenty-fourth and last Tirthankara. According to Jain philosophy, all Tirthankaras were human beings but they attained a state of perfection or enlightenment through meditation and self-realization. 

After the attainment of Kaivalya, Vardhaman Mahavira was called Jina which means conqueror of senses, and hence his followers were called Jainas. 

In order to sort out ideological differences and to compile the main teachings of Jainism, a council was convened in Pataliputra, modern Patna. But the Jainas from southern India under the leadership of Bhadrabahu boycotted the council and refused to accept its teachings. From then onwards, the southerners began to be called Digambaras, and the Magadhans Shvetambaras.

Mahavira, the 24th and the last Tirthankara of Jainism, opposed all forms of religious rituals and sacrifices. He was also against the Varna system. In his opinion, through pure and meritorious life members of the lower castes can attain Moksha. Jainism was, in general, against dividing people on the basis of caste or Varna.

Emperor Chandragupta Maurya (322-298 B.C.) became a Jaina, gave up his throne and spent the last years of his life in Karnataka as a Jaina ascetic and contributed to the growth of Jainism in South India.

Jainism grew during the second urbanization phase when the trade was increasing and Vaishyas were also rising both economically and socially and wanted to challenge Brahmana supremacy. Early Jainas thus discarded Sanskrit which was the language of the elite and used Ardhamagadhi (an eastern dialect of Prakrit) and Prakrit to reach out to the common masses.

Kharavela was a king of Kalinga in present-day Odisha. He ruled somewhere around first or second century BCE. Kharavela is the best known king of the Mahameghavahana dynasty of Kalinga. Most of the information about him is known from Hathigumpha inscription in Udayagiri hills near Bhubaneshwar. The inscription suggests that Kharavela gave patronage to various religious orders, including Jainism.

A great famine took place in Magadha 200 years after the death of Mahavira. According to Jain tradition, the famine lasted for twelve years. In order to protect themselves, many a Jaina went to the south under the leadership of Bhadrabahu. Remaining Jaina stayed back in Magadha under the leadership of Sthalabahu.

The earliest Jaina works are in Ardhamagadhi, an eastern dialect of Prakrit.

Bhadrabahu was the last acharya of undivided Jain Sangha. After his death Jain sangha was divided into two sects named Shvetambaras and Digambaras. Acharya Bhadrabahu predicted twelve-year long famine in Magadha. As it was impossible to follow the rules of Jainism strictly, Bhadrabahu moved to Karnataka with his disciples. Sthulabhadra who was also one of the disciples of Bhadrabahu stayed in Magadha and founded a new sect of Jainism by making rules easy to live. After that Jainism was divided into two sects.