The researches of many devoted savants, both Western and Eastern, have established beyond any doubt that Jainism is a very, very old tradition. It is now generally recognized that Mahavira is not the original founder, but only a great reformer who induced fresh blood into the already existing body of Jainism by his work of organizing and renovating the jain institutions. Prior to him. there was the great Parshva; even he was not the founder of Jainism. Rishabha of the hoary past was the first promulgator and founder of the Jaina tradition. He is unanimously held by both the Jaina and the Brahman traditions to have existed in very early times. Thus the root of Jainism go very deep into our history and Jainism undoubtedly is an indigenous system which was prevalent in our country-at least in entire north India-even before the advent of the Vedic Aryans to the Punjab or Brahmavarta.

It is one of the most fascinating and inspiring tasks for a thinker to follow the majestic course of Vedic Aryanism coming into contact with the indigenous currents flowing in our country even before its rise here and mingling with them, being influenced by them and emerging, after ages of dynamic assimilation, as he wonderful composite culture, Bharatiya samskriti, which is even now a very mush live and day-to-day practiced tradition amidst one-fifth of mankind inhabiting our country. If we take up the two most predominant currents in this stream of Bharatiya samskriti, the Brahmanical and the Jaina, they seem to be distinguishable even now (as Jainism has a very considerable following in our country) as Ganga and Yamuna mingling their different-hued water into one composite river. We shall try to sketch, necessarily in outline, how Jainism has influenced the Vedic-Brahmanic tradition and, thereby, contributed to our composite Bharatiya culture. Before we embark on his, we shall very briefly note the most salient features of Jainism.

jain is generally clubbed along with Buddhism under shramanasampradaya. This does not bring out its essential nature in entirety. From times immemorial, it is exclusively termed nirgrantha sampradaya. This appellation brings out the fundamentals of Jainism. Of all traditions, Jainism emphatically lays stress on the nivrutti attitude towards life in this world.

The basic nivrutti stand-point characterizing Jainism is laid as the foundation on which the entire Jaina structure of its salient feature is raised up systematically and homogeneously. Tapas or the sustained mortification and control over the body as related with the Jiva is elaborated and insisted on in the Jaina cannons. Even the harsh and rigorous features of tapas are stressed Upavasatha and sallekhsna and Brahmacharya have been the distinctive features of Jainism. Detailed instructions regarding the several steps to be gone through in these processes are all neatly and thoroughly laid down in the Jaina cannons. Even during the times of Alexander, the Macedonian king, we have very many instances of Jaina yatis or tapasvis. Probably the order of yatis or samnyasis is indigenous to Jaina tradition.

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