User:Shailenderjain2008

History of Janism Jainism is an independent and most ancient religion of India. Jainsim is an eternal religion. Jainism is revealed in every cyclic period of the universe, and this constitutes the pre-historic time of Jainism. And there is a recorded history of Jainism since about 3000-3500 BC. The discovery of the Indus Civilization seem to have thrown a new light on the antiquity of Jainism. The evidence suggests that Jainism was known among the people of the Indus Valley around 3000-3500 B.C. Some nude figures, considered to be of Lord Rishabha, on the seals have been discovered at Mohenjodaro and Harrappa. There is an article that suggests the representation of the seventh Tirthankara SuParsvanath. The people of the Indus Valley not only practiced Yoga but worshipped the images of Yogis. There are figures in Kayotsarga posture of standing are peculiarly Jain. In addition, the sacred signs of swastika are found engraved on a number of seals. Furthermore, there are some motifs on the seals found in Mohen-jo-Daro and it is suggested that these motifs are identical with those found in the ancient Jain art of Mathura. This presence of Jain tradition in the earliest period of Indian history is supported by many scholars. It strongly suggests that Jainism existed in pre-Aryan time.

Jain Tirthankaras Neminath or Aristanemi, who preceded Lord Parshvanath, was a cousin of Krishna. He was son of Samudravijaya and grandson of Andhakavrsni of Sauryapura. Krishna had negotiated the wedding of Neminath with Rajimati, the daughter of Ugrasena of Dvaraka. Neminath attained emancipation on the summit of Mount Raivata (Girnar). There is a mention of Neminath in several vedic canonical books. The king named Nebuchadnazzar was living in the 10th century B. C. It indicates that even in the tenth century B.C. there was the worship of the temple of Neminath. The historicity of Lord Parshvanath has been unanimously accepted. He preceded Lord Mahavir by 25O years. He was the son of King Asvasena and Queen Vama of Varanasi. At the age of thirty he renounced the world and became an ascetic. He practiced austerities for eighty three days. on the eighty fourth day he obtained omniscience. Lord Parshvanath preached his doctrines for seventy years. At the age of one hundred he attained liberation on the summit of Mount Sammd (Parsnath Hills). The four vows preached by Lord Parshvanath are: not to kill, not to lie, not to steal, and not to own property. Lord Mahavira was the twenty fourth, i.e., the last Tirthankaras. According to the tradition of the Shvetämbar Jains the Nirvän of Lord Mahavira  took place 470 years before the beginning of the Vikrama Era. The tradition of the Digambar Jains maintains that Lord Lord Mahavira attained Nirvän 605 years before the beginning of the Saka Era. By either mode of calculation the date comes to 527 B.C. Since the Lord attained emancipation at the age of 72, his birth must have been around 599 B.C.  This makes Lord  Mahavira slightly elder contemporary of Buddha who probably lived about 567-487 B.C. Lord  Mahavira was the head of an excellent community of 14,000 monks, 36,000 nuns, 159,00O male lay votaries and 318,OOO female lay votaries. The four groups designated as monks, nuns, laymen and laywomen constitute the four fold order (tirtha) of Jainism. Of the eleven principle disciples (ganadharas) of Lord Mahavir, only two, viz., Gautam Swami and Sudharma Swami survived him. After twenty years of Nirvän of Lord Mahavira, Sudharma Swami also attained emancipation. He was the last of the eleven gandharas to die. Jambu Swami, the last omniscient, was his pupil. He attained salvation after sixty four years of the Nirvän of Lord Mahavira. There were both types of monks, viz., sachelaka (with clothes) and achelaka (without clothes), in the order of Lord Mahavir. Both types of these groups were present together up to several centuries after Nirvän of Lord Mahavira. Keval-Jnani, Shrut Kevali & Das-Purvi Ächäryas The keval-Jnani are those who have eradicated four soul defiling karmas and attained the perfect knowledge. Shrut-kevalis are those who know all 14 Purvas and 12 Ang-Pravishtha-Agams. Das-Purvis are those who knew the first ten Purvas and 11 Ang-Pravishtha-Agams.