Tīrthaṅkara Mahāvīra and Jainism in Ancient Bengal

Mahāvīra made extensive travels throughout Eastern India, especially Bihar and Bengal, before and after his enlightenment. In this context, we are extremely fortunate to possess a passage, included in the Kalpa Sūtra, which gives us a very good idea about his 42 year ascetic-life including his 12 years pre-Nirvāṇa period.

The passage runs thus:

“……the venerable ascetic stayed the first rainy season at Aṣṭhikagrāma, three rainy seasons in Campā and Pŗṣṭhicampā, 12 in Vaiśālī and Vāṇijagrāma, 14 in Rājagŗha and its suburb called Nālandā, 6 in Mithilā, 2 at Bhadrikā, 1 in Ālabhikā, 1 in Paṇitabhūmi, 1 in Śrāvastī, and 1 at the town of Pāpā in king Hastipāla’s officer of writers”(Kalpa-Sūtra 1879: 264).

The Ācārāṅga Sūtra (Jacobi 1884: 84) refers to Mahāvīra’s itinerary in ancient Bengal. During his 12 years of religious penances he visited different parts of eastern India including the pathless tracts of the Lāḍha (i.e. Rāḍha or western part of undivided Bengal), through its two divisions known as Vajjabhūmi and Subbhabhūmi^[1] . It is apparent from the Jain texts that Mahāvīra’s presence and proselytizing missions in ancient Bengal resulted in the introduction of Jainism in the study area. However, he faced several difficulties during his travels in these pathless tracts. He was attacked by the people who even went to the length of setting dogs upon him. It appears that it was not due to any malice against Mahāvīra, but the people generally maltreated the ascetics. It also mentioned that the land through which Mahāvīra traversed was covered with forests and jungles.

Mahāvīra along with Gośāla^[2], the founder of the Ājīvika sect, visited the Rāḍha region twice. After his Kevalajñāna, he and Gośāla visited the Lāḍha country for the second time and spent the rainy season at Vajjabhūmi, though they were put through great trouble by the people of the locality. This text also mentioned Rāḍha as a non-Aryan country which was evident by the rudeness of its people.

It is necessary to identify this region (Lāḍha or Rāḍha) as well as the people on the basis of archaeological remains. The pathless tract of the Lāḍha, mentioned in Ācārāṅga Sūtra, is topographically similar to the vast undulating tract of land to the west of Bhagirathi River. The rivers Mayurakshi, Ajay, Damodar, Dwarakeswar and Rupnarayan flow through this stretch of land, in the districts of Birbhum, Burdwan, Bankura, Purulia and West Midnapur and together they constitute the geo-cultural unit of Rāḍha. The text also enumerates the linguistic and ethnological features of the people which seem to suggest that they had a kind of culture based on animistic religion, believing in the living spirit of non-living objects. The adoration of several natural elements played an important role in their beliefs and ritualistic practices. The Jain canonical literatures call them Vyantara devatās, the gods of the “other foexs”, and lists them as pisācas, bhutas, yakṣas, rakṣasas, kinnaras, kimpuruṣas, nāgas and gandharvas. It is true that these popular and tribal elements still survived among the common people of this uneven tract of Western Bengal. A rapid survey of the numerous relics and edifices associated with Jainism as noticed or discovered in the above mentioned districts of West Bengal in particular amply demonstrates that Jainism made much headway in this land before and after the death of Mahāvīra and made an everlasting influence upon its inhabitants who accepted this faith for their salvation. Mahāvīra, Gośāla and other Jain monks^[3] wandering over this region through ages came in direct contact with these so-called uncivilized people of the region and they were able to integrate the different cultural groups into a single religious system, i.e. Jainism. It may be suggested that Jainism had penetrated down to the folk level in this region with the acceptance of the common people. As a result, in spite of direct confrontations with several religious systems, Jainism survived in ancient Bengal without any direct patronage of the ruling class.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

In this context it should be remind that Mahāvīra’s sojourn in the Lāḍha country representing the ancient geographical division of Rāḍha and comprising the western districts of the present State of West Bengal.

[2]:

Gośāla was the founder of the Ājīvika sect and Bhagavatī-Sūtra described in detail how he, after several unsuccessful attempts, was at last accepted as a disciple (Barua) by Mahāvīra at a place called Paṇiyabhūmi (Lalwani 1985: XV, Sūtra 541). He was the first disciple of Mahāvīra.

[3]:

Mahāvīra had a large number of nuns (Jacobi 1879, Kalpa-Sūtra: 267) under him headed by Candanā and his principle disciple was Indrabhūti (Iṃdabhūi), who was a Brāhmaṇa of Gautama gotra (Kalpa-Sūtra 1879: 267 & 286). Several kings and queens, princes and princesses became his devotees. However, the historicity of all of them is very much difficult to accept. In this connection, some scholars go to the extent of saying that almost all the sixteen Mahā-janapadas of the period came under the influence of Mahāvīra, whereas Ghatge remarks: “Later Jain tradition, without much historical support, however, brings nearly all the kings of north India in those days in relation to Mahāvīra by describing their queens as a daughters of Ceṭaka, the maternal uncle of Mahāvīra” (Ghatge 1951: 415).