buddhismandjainism2 — BSSC History

Digambaras literally mean 'sky-clad' (dik = directions/sky, ambara = cloth) and they do not wear clothes, symbolizing complete renunciation of material possessions. Shvetambaras (shveta = white, ambara = cloth) wear white clothes. This was the key issue at the Pataliputra Council (~300 BCE) that led to the split. Both sects follow the same core Jain philosophy of Ahimsa, Anekantavada, and Aparigraha. Both worship the same 24 Tirthankaras. Rituals differ slightly but dress remains the PRIMARY distinction.

Buddha was born as Siddhartha (meaning 'one who has accomplished a goal') in 563 BCE at Lumbini (present-day Nepal). His father was Suddhodana, king of the Shakya clan, and his mother was Mahamaya who died 7 days after his birth. 'Gautama' is his gotra (clan) name. 'Rahul' was the name of his son, born just before he renounced the world. 'Vardhamana' was the name of Mahavira, the 24th Tirthankara of Jainism. After enlightenment at Bodh Gaya, he became 'Buddha' (the Enlightened One) or 'Tathagata' (one who has come/gone thus).

The Four Buddhist Councils: 1st — Rajgriha, ~483 BCE, after Buddha's death, under Ajatashatru's patronage; 2nd — Vaishali, ~383 BCE, dispute over Vinaya rules; 3rd — Pataliputra, ~250 BCE, under ASHOKA's patronage, presided by Moggaliputta Tissa; 4th — Kashmir (Kundalvana), ~1st century CE, under KANISHKA's patronage, presided by Vasumitra — this is where the formal split into Mahayana and Hinayana happened. So Assertion (A) is correct about the 4th council causing division. But Reason (R) is WRONG — the 4th council was under Kanishka in Kashmir, NOT Ashoka in Pataliputra (that was the 3rd council).

Vajrayana (also called Tantrayana or Mantrayana) emerged around the 5th–7th century CE and introduced tantric practices, mantras, mudras, yantras, and mystical/magical methods to achieve enlightenment rapidly. It flourished in Tibet, Nepal, and eastern India under Pala dynasty patronage. Hinayana (Lesser Vehicle) focuses on individual self-discipline and the Eightfold Path. Mahayana (Greater Vehicle) promotes the Bodhisattva ideal — staying in the world to help all beings attain liberation. Theravada is the conservative Hinayana school still practiced in Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand.

Maitreya (from Sanskrit maitri = friendliness/loving-kindness) is prophesied to be the next Buddha who will appear on Earth in the future when the Dharma has been forgotten. He is currently believed to reside in the Tushita heaven awaiting his time. Amitabha is the celestial Buddha of the Western Pure Land (important in Chinese/Japanese Buddhism). Avalokiteshvara (Guanyin in China) is the Bodhisattva of compassion who delays his own Buddhahood to help suffering beings. Manjusri is the Bodhisattva of wisdom, depicted holding a sword to cut through ignorance.

Magadhi Prakrit was the official administrative and court language of the Mauryan Empire. Ashoka's rock edicts and pillar edicts were inscribed in Magadhi (using Brahmi and Kharosthi scripts), showing its official status. Pali was the sacred language of Theravada Buddhist texts (Tipitaka). Sanskrit was used by Brahminical/Vedic traditions and the elite. 'Prakrit' is a broad category of Middle Indo-Aryan languages — Magadhi is a specific dialect of Prakrit native to the Magadha region. Arthashastra by Kautilya (Chanakya) was written in Sanskrit, but state affairs used Magadhi.

Ajatashatru (Kunika) was the son of Bimbisara, king of Magadha (Haryanka dynasty). He imprisoned and killed his father to seize the throne. He was a contemporary of BOTH Buddha and Mahavira — he initially followed Jainism then later became a Buddhist devotee. He presided over the 1st Buddhist Council at Rajgriha (~483 BCE). Ashoka was the grandson of Chandragupta Maurya (much later). Bindusara was the son of Chandragupta Maurya. Mahapadma Nanda founded the Nanda dynasty after the Haryanka/Shishunaga dynasties.

Megasthenes was a Greek ambassador sent by Seleucus I Nicator to the court of Chandragupta Maurya at Pataliputra. His work 'Indica' (though the original is lost, it survives in fragments quoted by other authors like Diodorus, Strabo, and Arrian) provides invaluable information about Mauryan society, administration, the caste system, the city of Pataliputra, and Indian flora/fauna. Chanakya (Kautilya) wrote 'Arthashastra' on statecraft. Seleucus Nicator was the Greek ruler who ceded territories to Chandragupta. Menander was an Indo-Greek king associated with Buddhist text 'Milindapanha'.

All three statements are correct. The 1st Jain Council was held at Pataliputra (~300 BCE) under Chandragupta Maurya's reign, presided over by Sthulabhadra. It was convened because a 12-year famine led to migration of Jains to South India under Bhadrabahu, and the remaining monks under Sthulabhadra compiled the 12 Angas (canonical texts). This also led to the split — those who went south with Bhadrabahu became Digambaras (rejecting the compiled texts), while those who stayed became Shvetambaras (accepting the Angas).

The 2nd Jain Council was held at Vallabhi (in present-day Gujarat) around 512 CE (some sources say 453 CE), presided over by Devardhi Kshamasramana. This council was crucial — it resulted in the FINAL written compilation of the Shvetambara Jain canonical scriptures (Agamas) because by this time many monks had been reciting texts from memory and there was fear of texts being lost. The Digambaras reject all these compiled texts, believing the original Agamas were lost during the famine. Rajgriha and Sarnath are Buddhist sites, not Jain council venues.