Infancy of Human Race as depicted in the Jaina Agamas
By J. C. Sikdar
Summary
According to the Jaina Agamas, human genesis occurred in Susama-Susama, the first period in the time cycle. In this initial age, the land was cool, and the color, taste, and touch of things were pleasant, with the soil's sweetness infinitely surpassing modern sugar. Food was a natural product, not artificial. People were very tall, lived up to three palyas, and never met accidental death because the natural atmosphere was highly congenial to health. They consumed a little vegetable every three days, and things were snigdha, meaning full of calory. The second period, Susama, lasted for three kodakoda sagara. During this time, people ate every two days, their lifespan decreased to two palyas, and their height diminished to two kosas. This decline was caused by the diminishing braciness of food, land fertility, and the essence of things. The third period, Susama Dusama, saw people eating every alternate day. Their lifespan was one palya, and their height was one kosa. At the end of this age, the calories of things declined rapidly, and kalpa-vrksas gradually disappeared. Natural laws broke down, leading to the emergence of an artificial order and the Kulakara or Patriarchial society, marking the transition from a natural society of free men to a tribal society. The article argues that this account of the infancy of the human race corroborates the views of F. Engels. Engels described man living in tropical or sub-tropical forests, dwelling in trees, and surviving on fruits, nuts, and roots. He also noted that in the primitive stage, brother and sister lived as man and wife, with marriage groups arranged according to generations, where brothers and sisters of various degrees were mutually husbands and wives. The author notes that this picture of infancy, with its background of the yugalic system, represents an older tradition of the lower stage of 'savagery' not found in Vedic and Buddhist works, except for a reference in the Agganna Sutanta to odorous and self-ripening rice. The tradition of the yugalic system was preserved by the great assembly of Jaina monks and written down at the Vallabhi council long before Marx and Engels. This account holds historical importance for understanding the development of man and society.
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Conclusion
The Jaina Agamas depict the infancy of the human race through a progressive decline across three cyclic ages, beginning with a state of perfect natural harmony and ending with the emergence of patriarchal society. Key findings include the initial existence of a primitive, egalitarian society characterized by a yugalic pairing system, the absence of social stratification, and a reliance on wish-yielding trees. As environmental and dietary conditions deteriorated, human stature, lifespan, and natural virtues diminished, eventually necessitating artificial social structures and the Kulakara system. The implications of this account are profound, as it offers a detailed, pre-Vedic narrative of human societal development that closely aligns with the evolutionary theories of Marx and Engels. Ultimately, the text holds significant historical value, preserving an ancient Indian tradition of human origins that merits recognition alongside global anthropological and historical frameworks.