History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v3.c41.s7.1

v3.c41.s7.1

In the rest of Northern India we do not find Jainism much in favour with the princes or the people though Jain Vaiśyas were to be found all over the country. Neither under Gāhadavālas, nor under Pālas or Senas, do we find Jainism much in favour. But though Jainism did not prosper in the middle nor in the east of Northern India, the revival of the feeling of Ahimsā was not less strong there than in the west in this sub-period. We have seen that the religion of Buddha received fresh inspiration in Magadha from new teachers and some learned Buddhists went as usual on a preaching mission into Tibet and reformed that religion of peace in Tibet (p. 225). But more marked than this was the revival of Ahimsā doctrine in the appearance of new Vaishnavism. This new Vaishnavism appeared in Bengal at this time with the same intense regard for Ahimsā as was exhibited by Jainism and Buddhism. Indeed new Vaishnavism may be looked upon as Jainism tacked on to the old worship of Śrīkṛiṣhṇa, as Christianity may be described as Buddhism tacked on to Judaism. Buddhism was dead in India at this time except in Magadha. Buddha had been changed into an Avatāra of Viṣhṇu and Buddhists had generally turned into Vaishnavas. Naturally the respect for Ahimsā came back with the force of a returning tide; and Vaishnavism took up Ahimsā as it had never done before. The Bhagavadgītā, no doubt, preached Ahimsā long before the rise of Buddha himself but the Ahimsā of the Bhāgavatas was reconciled as evidenced by the Mahābhārata with Vedic religion of animal sacrifice by the doctrine that slaughter in Vedic sacrifices was no slaughter. But the slaughter of animals in propitiation of the Deity was plainly indefensible and was always the weak point of the Vedic religion as of Judaism and both Jains and Buddhists assailed it with success on this point and their preachers generally scored victory over Hindu or Vedic opponents. New Vaishnavism, by taking up the doctrine of Ahimsā more rigidly than before, disarmed the Jains and thus succeeded in appealing to the common people by returning to their old god Viṣhṇu in the form of Śrīkṛiṣhṇa and by stopping Vedic sacrifices with animal slaughter. This new Vaishnavism not only stopped animal sacrifices but further adopted the Jain doctrine of abstaining from meat diet. From the Indus to the Brahmaputra this new Vaishnavism became predominant at this time (1000-1200) and animal slaughter and animal food was renounced by Vaishnavas. Even now in the Panjab Vaishnava food means meatless food.