Tirthankara Mahavira, after the attainment of
omniscience at the age of forty-two, toured different parts of the country
for a continuous period of thirty aears, met people from various urban,
rural and tribal societies, and preached the principles and rules of
conduct as laid down by 3ainism. The personality and preachings of
Tirthankara Mahavira created a tremendous impact on the minds of all
sections of people and especially on the down-trandden sections of the
population. He not only revealed to them the path of Liberation i.e. the
path to attain the eternal happiness, which was the main object of the
people, but also showed the actual means through which all people,
irrespective of any distinction of class or status, can achieve this
objective. His sincerity of purpose, way of approach, method of
explanation, divine speech and philosophical and ethical doctrines
appealed to the people to such an extent that with a firm conviction of
mind they began to adopt Jaina religion as lay followers or as ascetics.
The number of confirmed adherents to Jaina religion began to increase
steadily. In this way Tirthankara Mahavira ushered in a new era of hope
and aspirations for the common people and succeeded in considerably
changing the life, outlook and values of the people. He introduced various
new concepts and ideas which revolutionised the entire course of life of
the people. The significance of Tirthankara Mahavira lies in successfully
effecting a social
change and
in making institutional and other arrangements for the perpetuation of his
new social order.In order to solve the pressing problems of the time, he
made several important salient contributions from a social point of view
which are briefly out-lined here.
(1)
Establishment of Social Equality:
The most
significant contribution in the social field made by Tirthankara Mahavira
was the establishment of social equality among the four Varnas,' i.e.
classes, prevalent in the society. Mahavira succeeded in organizing his
large number of followers into a compact social order quite distinct from
that of the Brahmanic social order of the Vedic period.
The Vedic
society was composed of four classes, viz. Brahmana, Rajanya, Vaishya and
Shudra. They were said to have come from the mouth, the arms, the thighs
and the feet of the Creator, Brahman. The particular limbs ascribed as the
origins of these divisions and the order in which they were mentioned
indicated their status in the society of the time. The fact that the four
classes were described as of divine origin could be taken as a sufficient
indication that they were of long duration and very well defined. Not only
the four classes were distinct and separate, but they were also affected
by the spirit of rivalry among themselves. Even in the early Rigvedic
times the Brahmanical profession had begun to set up claims of superiority
or sacredness for itself and , accordingly we find that different rules
were prescribed for different
classes.
Thus the Shatapatha Brahmana laid down different modes of address for the
four classes, differing in degrees of politeness, as ehi, agachchha,
adrava and adhava. The Taittiriya Brahmana recommended the spring season
to the Brahmins for the performance of sacrifices, the Summer to the
Kshatriyas, and the autumn to the Vaishyas. The Atharva Veda proclaimed in
the strongest language sin, peril and ruinous consequences for insulting
Brahmins and robbing them of their property. This inordinate extension of
the pretensions and prerogatives of the sacerdotal class naturally created
cleavages in the Society. The Kshatriya were assigned a position next to
Brahmins, and Vaishyas and Shudras were comparatively neglected. Thus the
Vedic Societry was completely class-ridden in the sense that unusual
importance was given to the Brahmin class to the detriment of other
classes and that no body was allowed to change his class' which he had got
on the basis of his birth it, that class.
Against these glaring practices based on the acceptance of social
inequality and on the wide observance of social dis-crimination,
Tirtharikara,
Mahavira launched his attack. He recognized the division of society into
four classes but based them on the nature of activities carried out by the
people and not on the basis of their ' birth. He gave full freedom to one
and all, including women and Shudras, to observe common religious
practices prescribed for all and admitted them into his religious order:
In this way Tirthankara Mahavira threw open the
doors of
Jainism to all and gave equal opportunity to everybody irrespectives of
his class or birth, to practice religion according to his capacity. Those
who followed religion as householders were known as Shravakas and
Shravikas and those who observed the religion fully by leaving their
houses and becoming ascetics were called as Sadhus and Sadhvis.
After
Mahavira, various Jaina Acharyas made no distinction whatsoever among
people in the matter of following religion arid conceived that the Varna
system, that is, the division of society into four Varnas or classes, is
based upon differences in professions.In their view birth played no part
in determining the Varna or class of a particular person. As regards the
division of Society into four Varnas, Acharya Jinasena states (in Adi
Purana Parva 38, 45, 48) in the following manner :
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The whole
mankind came into existence due to the rise of Jati-nama-Karma ; and the
mankind was divided into four categories of Brahmana, Kshatriya, Vaishya
and Shudra according to the differences in the vocations they followed for
their livelihood. Those who observed Vratas, i.e. religious injunctions,
to a greater degree were known as Brahmanas, those who carried weapons as
Kshatriyas, those who acquired wealth by just means as Vaishyas and those
. who maintained bY resorting to low professions as Shudras. In the same
way Acharya Ravishena"asserts (in his Padma Purana, Parva XI, 200, 203 and
205) that it is not birth but activities that determine one's class in the
Society.
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The
Brahmanahood of best ascetics as well as of ordinary people is considered
on their actions and not on their birth in the Brahmana class. No class
has been despised. The actions alone lead to good prosperity. Gods regard
a Chandala, i. e. an outcaste, as a Brahmana, if he follows religious mode
of life. The epithets of classes and Chandala, which are applied to
mankind are famous in this world due to differences in their ways of life.
