JAINISM IN KASHMIR

                                              

JAINISM  IN KASHMIR 

Jainism was present in Kashmir from at least the Mauryan period, though it remained a minor tradition compared to Buddhism and Shaivism. According to both the Rajatarangini of Kalhana and Abul Fazl’s Ain-i-Akbari,Emperor Ashoka “first introduced Jainism into the kingdom of Kashmir” during his viceroyalty around 260 BCE. Archaeological and textual evidence confirms a continued, albeit limited, presence: in 932 CE a Kashmiri Shravaka named Ratna founded a Manibimla shrine dedicated to Tirthankara Neminatha on Rajvataka hill. During the Mughal period, Jain monks were part of Akbar’s entourage when he travelled to Kashmir, and the emperor maintained correspondence with the Jain acharya Hiravijaya Suri. Contemporary chroniclers note that Jainism was regarded as one of the “minor religious sects” in the region and “does not appear to have gained very wide popularity”. Xuanzang’s 7th-century account of Kashmir also describes a flourishing centre of education where “various Dharmic Thoughts, like Shaivism, Buddhism, Jainism, Vaishnavism, etc. co-existed”. Thus, while Jainism had temples, scholars and royal patronage at intervals, it functioned in Kashmir primarily as a small Sramana community alongside the dominant Buddhist and Shaiva traditions.

In Kashmir texts and histories,  3 terms are  used for Jains:

1. Shravaka meaning: "Listener / Disciple"  .This is the most common term. It means a lay Jain follower who listens to the teachings of Tirthankaras.  

2. Jaina meaning "Follower of Jina" i.e. Mahavira/24 Tirthankaras  .Used in later texts like Ain-i-Akbari_by Abul Fazl:  

3. Nirgrantha meaning:"One without knots / bonds.  

This is the oldest Buddhist/Jain term for ascetics. Buddha used it for Mahavira and his monks.  

In Sanskrit/Kashmiri chronicles it appears when talking about early Sramana traditions in the Valley.

So all 3 appear, but Shravaka is the one you’ll see most in Kashmiri records for actual people who lived in Kashmir. Kashmir never had a large Jain kingdom, so Jains here are mostly recorded as individual  Shravakas, merchants, or scholars rather than as a ruling community. This is how Rajatarangini  mention Jains as Shravaka.

"तत्रैव राजवटके शैलेऽकारयच्छ्रावको रत्नः ।

मणिबिम्बं जिनेन्द्रस्य नेमिनाथस्य सुन्दरम् ॥"(Taranga 5 of Rajatarangini by Kalhana)

("There itself, on Rajvataka hill, the Shravaka Ratna caused to be made a beautiful jewelled image of Jina, Lord Neminatha.")

Meaning: In 932 CE, a Kashmiri Jain lay follower named Ratna Shravaka built a temple/shrine with an idol of the 22nd Tirthankara, Neminatha, on Rajvataka hill in Kashmir.This proves there was an active Jain community in 10th century Kashmir with patronage to build temples. Kalhana doesn’t use "Jaina" much. The term appears more in later Persian sources like Ain-i-Akbari quoting Kashmiri tradition.Nirgrantha appears in Buddhist texts and pan-Indian Sanskrit literature for Jain monks., Historic Jain texts like the Prabhavakacarita record that the great 12th-century Jain scholar Hemacandra requested grammatical texts from Kashmir's Sharda Shrine ( ancient  seat of learning ) to compile his definitive grammar work, the Siddhahem.

( Avtar Mota )

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