Critical Survey of the Jaina Purāṇas
Summary
Devi Prasad Mishra’s article, "Critical Survey of the Jaina Purāṇas," examines the origins, development, and classification of Jaina Puranic literature. The subject is the Jaina Purāṇas, which the author argues are encyclopedic texts composed primarily in Prakrit, Sanskrit, and Apabhramsha to popularize Jaina teachings among the masses. The main argument is that the Jaina Purāṇas developed as a distinct literary tradition, heavily influenced by the political, social, and religious conditions of the post-Gupta period, particularly as a response to the rising popularity of Brahmanical Puranas and the assimilation of Buddhism. The author notes that the Jaina tradition credits the first Tirthankara, Rṣabha, with the origin of these texts, a tradition recorded in the Mahāpurāṇa. The evidence and sources discussed include the earliest references found in the Sthānakāgama-sūtra, the Trigati-salakapurusacarita by Acārya Hemacandra, the Prakrit work Tiloyapaṇṇatti, and the Svayambhastotra of Swāmi Samanta Bhadra. Mishra identifies four categories of Jaina Purāṇas: those based on the Rāmāyaṇa, those based on the Mahābhārata, those dealing with the trisasti-salakapurusas (sixty-three great men), and independent Purāṇas on the trisasti-salakapurusas. Specific works cited include the Pāumacariyam by Vimalasūri, the Padma-Purāṇa by Acārya Ravisena, the Harivaṃśa-Purāṇa by Jinasenacārya, and the Mahāpurāṇa (Adipurāṇa and Uttarapurāṇa). The article also provides a detailed chronology of these texts, dating the earliest Prakrit works from the 6th century A.D. to the 15th century A.D., Sanskrit works from the 7th to the 10th centuries, and Apabhramsha works from the 10th to the 16th centuries. The author concludes by highlighting the salient features of the Jaina Purāṇas, such as their encyclopedic nature, their eight characteristics (Loka, Desa, Naga, Rajya, Tirtha, Dana, Tapa, Gatis, and Phala), and their value as sources of contemporary socio-economic and religious history.
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Conclusion
The Jaina Puranas represent a vital branch of Indian literature, functioning as an encyclopaedia of Jainism that illuminates religious, philosophical, moral, and socio-economic conditions. Their origin and development are deeply intertwined with the political, social, and religious complexities of the post-Gupta period, a time of societal fragmentation and rising Brahmanical influence. In response to the popularization of traditional Puranas and epics like the Ramayana and Mahabharata, Jainas adapted and composed their own texts, often in Prakrit, Sanskrit, and Apabhramsa. These works are categorized into four main themes: adaptations of the Ramayana and Mahabharata, biographies of the sixty-three great men, and independent texts. Ultimately, the Jaina Puranas are highly significant for preserving valuable historical, biographical, and cultural information, reflecting the diverse linguistic and narrative traditions of medieval India.