Life in Ancient India as Depicted in the Jain Canons, with Commentaries: An Administrative, Economic, Social and Geographical Survey c12.s2.t1.3

c12.s2.t1.3

But it should be noted that though the Jain stories seem to make the position of the Bambhanas inferior to that of the Khattiyas, the Brāhmaṇas enjoyed a high position in the society. It is stated in the Nisītha cūrṇi that the Brāhmaṇas were gods in heaven, the Prajāpati created them on earth as divine beings and so offering alms to them results in gain of spiritual merit¹⁰ Then the terms Samaṇa and Māhana frequently occur together in the Jain texts which shows that the homeless ascetics and the Brāhmaṇas were identical.¹¹ The pre-eminent position of the Brāhmaṇas is also evidenced by the fact that Mahāvīra was styled as Māhaṇa¹² or Mahāmāhaṇa.¹³