Jaina religion is the oldest religion of
India, It began as a spiritual discipline for Samanas, Arhatas,
Tirthankaras, Nigganthas, and Jainas. They were called Samanas (Monks)
because they believed in the equality of all beings and practiced
nonviolence. They were called Arhatas (worthy of Worship) because they
lived virtuous lives, As the originators of the spiritual path, they were
known as Tirthankaras (Fordmakers). Being free from passions, they were
called Nigganthas (detached). And because they had conquered all of their
desires, they were identified as Jinas (Victors). Hence, the religion
propounded by such conquerors is fittingly called the Jaina religion.
There are references to the Jaina
Tirthankaras, Samanas, and Arhatas, and to the ethical principles they
espoused in the Rigveda, Yajurveda, and in the Puranas. Scholars have
examined these sources and have concluded that these personalities must be
pre- Vedic and that the religion they preached must have preceded the
Vedic religion. According to Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan : �Jaina tradition
ascribes the origin of the system to Rsabhadeva who lived many millennia
back. There is evidence to show that so far back as the first century
B.C. there were people who were worshipping Rsabhadeva, the first
Tirthankara. There is no doubt that Jainism prevailed even before
Vardhamana or Parsvanatha. The Yajurveda mentions the names of three
Tirthankaras�Rsabha, Ajita, and Aristanemi. The Bhagvata-Purana endorses
the view that Rsabhadeva was the founder of Jainism.� Like wise, J. P.
Jain declares : `It is now no more necessary to prove that Jainism is an
absolutely independent, highly developed, very comprehensive and ancient
system, not unreasonably described as `the oldest living religion�, or the
earliest `home religion of India.� Its is, indeed, found to have been in
existence, in one form of the other, or under one name or the other, since
the very dawn of human civilization, continuing without break throughout
the prehistorical, proto-historical and historical times.� The images,
seals, and other findings amongst the discoveries at Harappa and
Mohenjodara, and some earlier inscriptions of ancient India also lend
support to the view that Rsabhadeva was the founder of Jainism, which was
non-Vedic in origin and probably pre-Aryan.
