Hindu Manners, Customs and Ceremonies - DUBOIS, Abbé Hindu Manners, Customs and Ceremonies, Dubois | Page 734

THE JAIN PHILOSOPHY
694
property, no form of government, no kings, no laws
men
will lead the lives of perfect savages.
This period will terminate with a jala-pralaya, or flood,
which will deluge the whole earth, except the mountain of
silver, called Vidi-parta.
This flood will be caused by con-
tinuous rain for forty-seven days, which will result in a com-
plete upsetting of the elements.
A few people living near
the silver mountain will take refuge in the caves which are
;
hidden in
its
sides,
and they
will
be saved amidst the
universal destruction.
After the catastrophe the elect will
come forth from the mountain and will repeople the earth.
Then the six periods will begin over again, and follow each
other as they did before.
The Learning of the
Jains.
The philosophy of the Jains is contained in four Vedas \
twenty-four Puranas, and sixty-four Sastras. The Puranas
take the names of the twenty-four Tirthankaras 2 or saints.
APurana is assigned to each of them, and contains his history.
The names of the four Vedas are Prathamam-yoga
Charanam-yoga, Karanani-yoga, and Draviani-yoga. These
four books were written by Adiswara, the most ancient and
most celebrated of all the holy personages recognized by
the Jains. He came down from Swarga, took a human form,
and lived on earth for a purva-koti, or a hundred million
million years.
Not only did he compose the Vedas, but it
was he who divided men into castes, gave them laws and
a form of government, and laid down the lines of social order.
In short, Adiswara is to the Jains what Brahma is to the
Brahmins one of them having most probably been model-
led from the other.
,
;
The Sixty-three Saloka-purushas.
Besides Adiswara, who is the holiest and most perfect of
all beings who have appeared on the earth in human form,
the Jains recognize sixty-three others, whom they describe
by the generic name of Saloka-purushas, and whom they
1
These are not called Vedas, but Agamas. Ed.
Tirthankaras means those who have passed over
separates human being)? from the Godheftd,
Ed.
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'
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the gulf which