Aspects of Brahmanical Influence On Jaina Mythology

SR No.: 011037
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Shaktidhar Jha
Publisher: Bharat Bharti Bhandar
Publication Year: 1978
Total Pages: 315
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 12 MB

Page 147

The Işvalu Race and its Various Branches
that among the fabulous number of sons and grandsons of Sagara only Bhagiratha survived and continued the main line of the Ikṣvākus This representation obviously makes him forefather of Dasaratha and Rāma Thus so far as this aspect of the story is concerned, the Jaina versions are in perfect consonance with the Brahmanical epic-Puranic tradition about the genealogies of the Iksvākus of Ayodhya, for the Brahmanical genealogical texts show absolute agreement in representing Sagara and Bhagiratha as illustrious ancestors50 of the heroes of the Rāmāyana
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Now, coming to the second list of the Iksvaku kings who reportedly flourished during the age of the Twentieth TirthanLara Suoratanatha, we find that the kings contained in the list are far removed in time from their ancestors as noted before. Even the group of persons mentioned in the narrative of the second cahrin cannot serve as a connecting link, for, there is allegedly a big gap between the period of Bhagiratha and that of the kings placed in the second list Now, if as many descents be assigned to each of the intervening periods of the intermediate Tirthankaras, as have been set out as the descendants of the first Tirthankara, the number of kings by the age of the twentieth Jina will be about 500 Similarly, if the Jaina computation of times be accorded credence, the number of years in the periods will defy human calculation, for, the span of life of the personages placed in these periods is measured in lacs of Purvas 52 In fact, no other branch of ancient Indian tradition suffers from such a monstrous exaggeration
Now, the second part of the Iksvāku pedigree occurs in VPC, RPC and TSPC as a prelude to the narrative of Rama,
50 Vayup 88 165-185, HV 1 15 2-27 Rāmā 170 25-31, 2 110 25-35 Visp. 4 4 34-87
51 VPC 20 65-69, 73-83 RPC, 20 74-90 JHV 7 21-31, 49-56 AP 3 217-227
52 The life span of Ajitanatha is said to have been seventytwo lacs of Purvas We are told that one Purva consists of 8400000 y 8400000 years (AP 3219) The period of life of each succeeding Tirthankara is, however, given in decreasing order Thus the span of life of Suvratanatha is stated to have been thirty thousand of years For details see VPC, 20 99-104, RPC, 20 116-112 TSPC 1 6 278-320.