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A study of the philosophy of Jainism

by Deepa Baruah | 2017 | 46,858 words

This page describes the Meaning of the term Tirthankara from the study of the philosophy of Jainism: one of the oldest religions in India having its own metaphysics, philosophy and ethics. Jainism is regarded as an ethical system where non-violence features as an important ethical value.

Chapter I.b - Meaning of the term īٳṅk

Regarding the meaning of the term īٳṅk different opinions have been given by the Jaina followers. The word īٳṅk is a derivation of the word īٳ in the sense of ٲṇa (boat) which means bridge. Thus īٳṅk is a bridge maker. Ś峾 and Digambara define that īٳṅk is a prophet. A īٳṅk is always freeform all the causes of bondage of this ocean of ṃs or transmigration. Some Jaina followers opine that pravacana (sound teaching) is the meaning of īٳ. As this pravacana is found without fail in a ṃg or Jaina church, so a ṃg is called īٳ and a īٳṅk is one who is the founder of the church (ṃg). According to Jacobi, the word īٳṅk is derived from the word īٳ in the sense of doctrine. So, one who is a founder of the doctrine is also called īٳṅk.

Another authority believes that the Jaina īٳṅks were deified heroes, born of human parents who were raised to the position of God by their renunciation and great services to religion for the deliverance of mankind.

Again, some Jaina philosophers describe that tirtha means dharma and one who expounds dharma is called īٳṅk. They are the founders of their religion.

īٳṅks are considered as Gods for the followers of the Jainas. They occupy highest position in Jainism because of their great service for the deliverance of mankind. They are regarded as guides and spiritually great souls. The Jainas believe that each īٳṅk is a separate individual, a perfect soul. The īٳṅks keep their individual identity even after their liberation from physical body. Like all other liberated souls he is called a siddha.

The lives of the īٳṅks are found in different books. The earliest reference to the twenty-four īٳṅks has been made in the and the 貹ūٰ. Hemacandra’s հṣaṣṭśܰṣaٲ reveals that the life of the twenty-four īٳṅks ran almost on identical lines.All the īٳṅks were born in ṣaٰⲹ royalfamilies. All were averse to worldly life. All of them had very long lives, except Ѳ屹ī. Most of them ruled for a long time. They practised asceticism and attained ǰṣa and founded a community of disciples. According to the Jaina works like the and the 貹ūٰ, Ṛṣ, the first īٳṅk was born in the third age, i.e., the periods of happiness and sorrow, and the remaining twenty-three īٳṅks were born in the fourth age, i.e., the period of sorrow and happiness. Ofthe twenty-four īٳṅks twenty-two belonged to the to the Īkṣvāku dynasty of the ṣaٰⲹs. But the Munisuvrata and 𳾾ٳ are said to have belonged to the 󲹰ṃśa dynasty of the ṣaٰⲹs. Some Caritasand Purāṇas describe the lives of the īٳṅks. The life of Ṛṣ is found in Ā徱ܰṇa and ٳٲܰṇa. Bhavadevasuri’s śٳ󲹳ٲ, Sakalakīrti’s ŚԳپٳ󲹳ٲ, Vijayagaṇi’s ṣṭԱ𳾾ٲ, Kṛṣṇadasa’s վٳ󲹱ܰṇa, Brahmanemidatta’s 𳾾ٳpurāṇa etc, are some other works where the lives of the īٳṅks are found.

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