A History of Indian Literature v2.c20.s1.2

v2.c20.s1.2

[^1): On the strength of the unanimous tradition of both Buddhists and Jainas, we may take it as certain that Mahāvīra was a senior contemporary of Buddha, and that both were contemporaries of Kings Bimbisāra and Ajātaśatru of Magadha. The year of Mahāvīra's death is, however, at least as uncertain as that of Buddha's. Appendix VI. H. Jacobi (Ind. Ant. 9, 1880, 158 ff.; SBE 45, p. xx ff.) has made it seem very probable that Mahāvīra was not the founder but only the reformer of an earlier sect of the Nigaṇṭhas founded by Pārśva. Nevertheless, when the tradition says that Pārśva lived exactly 250 years before Mahāvīra, we are not by any means justified in taking this as a certain historical fact. [^2): The epithets “Enlightened One” (Buddha) and “Victor” (Jina) were applied to Gotama as well as to Mahāvīra (and other founders of religions). However, whilst “Buddha” came to be the name of Gotama, “Jina” came to be the usual name of Mahāvīra, and his adherents called themselves “Jainas”, *i.e.*, disciples of the Jina.” It has grown customary to use the expressions “Jainism” and “Jainistic.” However, as we never say “Bauddhism” and “Bauddhistic,” we ought by rights to say “Jinism” and “Jinisic” just as we say “Buddhism” and “Buddhistic.” Scholars like A. Weber and Th. Benfey still considered the Jainas as a Buddhist sect. It has been proved by Jacobi (SBE 22, Introd., and in the introduction to his edition of the Kalpa-Sūtra) that this view is erroneous.