A History of Indian Literature v2.c20.s3.65

v2.c20.s3.65

The narrative begins (III, 18) as in a Purāṇa,² with a description of the universe and the history of Ṛṣabha, the first Jina, who lived in the Kṛta age, when there were only three castes, Kṣatriyas, Vaiśyas and Śūdras. The origin of the Vidyādharas, "holders of spells," a kind of demigods, is related (III, 144 ff.; *cf.* V, 13 ff.), also the origin of the Brahmins (IV, 64 ff.), of the Ikṣvāku dynasty and the dynasty of the moon (V, 1 ff.). Then comes the history of the second Jina with all manner of preliminary stories (V, 48 ff.).