Question 4

QUESTIONER: ACCORDING TO THE HISTORY OF JAINISM, THE TWENTY-SECOND JAINA TIRTHANKARA, NEMINATH, WAS KRISHNA'S COUSIN. AFTER GOING THROUGH A SPELL OF SEVERE ASCETIC DISCIPLINE NEMINATH BECAME RENOWNED AS A HINDU SEER BY THE NAME OF GHOR ANGIRAS, AND HE IS SAID TO HAVE SERVED AS A LINK BETWEEN KRISHNA AND ESOTERIC KNOWLEDGE. WHAT DO YOU SAY ABOUT IT? IS SUCH A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN NEMINATH AND KRISHNA POSSIBLE? YOU SAID THAT KRISHNA'S COMING INTO BEING DEPENDED ON VERY INNER REASONS. WHAT ARE THOSE INNER REASONS IN THE CONTEXT OF ESOTERIC KNOWLEDGE?

It is true that Neminath is Krishna's cousin, and the story comes from a time when Hindus and Jainas were not two separate traditions. It is after Mahavira, the last Jaina tirthankara, that Jainas separated from the Hindus. Neminath is the twenty-second Jaina tirthankara, and he is Krishna's cousin. But there is no esoteric connection between the two. And there is a reason for it.

Neminath belongs to the long tradition of Jaina tirthankaras who were all devoted to the pursuit of one-dimensional spiritual discipline. Perhaps no other tradition has done so much in the dimension of sacrifice and renunciation as the Jainas have done. In this respect Jainas have the longest history, adorned by a galaxy of extraordinary people. It is rare in the whole history of mankind.

The first Jaina tirthankara, Rishabhadeva, is a contemporary of the RIGVEDA. Maybe he even preceded this most ancient of the VEDAS, because the Rigveda mentions Rishabhadeva with a respect not usually given to contemporaries. The terms used in the Rigveda to describe Rishabhadeva are so respectful that it suggests the first Jaina tirthankara has already an established reputation when the RIGVEDA is being created. Man has yet to be so civilized that he will be respectful to his contemporaries,

However, it is certain that Rishabhadeva is contemporary with the RIGVEDA, because this scripture mentions him with great respect. And there is a gap of thousands of years between the RIGVEDA and Mahavira, the last Jaina tirthankara. History has not been able to ascertain the time that passed between the Vedas and Mahavira. Western historians could not put this gap at more than one and a half thousand years. They were so hemmed in by the belief en shrined in the Christian Bible, that the world was created only four thousand years before Jesus. This means our universe is only six thousand years old, so the western historians have to compress the whole human history into this brief span of time. Evidently Hindus and Jainas also cannot be allowed to transgress this limit. So, those who think along western lines say that the distance in time between the VEDAS and Mahavira cannot be more than fifteen hundred years, But this is not true.

Now Christianity itself is having to revise its calculation of time. Skeletons of human bodies have been found which are hundreds of thousands of years old. But strange are the ways of superstitious minds; they defy all proofs that go contrary to their old dog mas and beliefs. Do you know what a Christian theologian said when confronted with the fact of the discovery of these thousands of years-old human skeletons? He said that God is omnipotent, he is capable of doing anything, so when he created the world he planted these hoary skeletons in its soil.

But science now accepts that the universe is very ancient. So according to Tilak's calculations, the VEDAS are at least ninety thousand years old. This much can be said without fear of contradiction, that they are much more ancient than the western historians believe. For thousands of years, the VEDAS existed in oral tradition, and now they have existed in the written form for so many thousands of years. And the oral tradition is longer than the written one. The first Jaina tirthankara is mentioned in the Rigveda. And as far as their last tirthankara is concerned, he happened twenty-five hundred years ago, according to all historical evidences.

This long tradition of twenty-four Jaina tirthankaras is the oldest and greatest heritage in the dimension of renunciation. It has no parallel in the whole history of man. And there is no possibility that any other religion is going to surpass it in any future, because gradually the dimension of renunciation is itself dying. So it seems plausible to believe that there will be no more tirthankaras after the twenty-fourth, because renunciation has altogether lost its relevance for the future. However, it had immense relevance in the past.

Scriptures say that Neminath is the twenty-second Jaina tirthankara and he is Krishna's cousin, Scriptures also mention Krishna's meetings with Neminath. Whenever Neminath happens to visit his town Krishna goes to pay his respects to him. It is significant that when Neminath comes, Krishna pays him a visit; Neminath never goes to visit Krishna. A renunciate is not expected to pay his respects to a non-renunciate; it is very difficult. A renunciate becomes harsh, he tears himself away from all relationships and attachments. So while Neminath remains Krishna's cousin from Krishna's side, Krishna is no one to Neminath. He never goes to Krishna to ask, "How are you?" He has renounced the world. In the dimension of vairagya or non-attachment, one has to drop all associations and their ensuing attachments and become absolutely alone. No one is his friend and no one is his enemy. So the question of Krishna being linked with him in some esoteric venture simply does not arise.

Moreover, Neminath is not in a position to help. Krishna spiritually, because he is one-dimensional. On the contrary, Krishna can very well help his cousin, because he is multidimensional. Krishna knows many things Neminath does not know, and he can know on his own what Neminath knows. Krishna is total; he covers the whole of life. Neminath is partial: he lives, and lives fully, but only in one particular dimension of life. Therefore, although Neminath is a very significant figure in Krishna's time, he does not leave his imprint on history.

A renunciate cannot impress history, he cannot leave any spectacular footprints on the sands of time. What more can history say about him than that he renounced everything? On the other hand, Krishna's influence on India was far-reaching and profound. The truth is that with Krishna, India touched a height she never touched again. Under his leadership, the Mahabharat was the greatest war that India had ever made. Ever since, Indians have fought only petty wars and skirmishes. A unique war like the Mahabharat could be possible only under Krishna's leadership.

Generally we believe that war destroys a people. Since India did not fight any great war after the Mahabharat, she should be the most advanced and affluent country in the world today. But the fact is just the opposite: today she is one of the poorest and most backward countries. And the countries that have passed through great wars are at the pinnacle of prosperity and advancement. Wars don't destroy a people, rather they awaken their sleeping energy and rouse their heroism. It is only in moments of war when a community touches the highest peaks of its being. It is only in moments of challenge that a people becomes fully alive and awake. After the Mahabharat we have never had another such great moment to fully come into our own.

It is true that countries involved in the Second World War suffered heavily. Destruction of life and wealth was colossal. But this is only a half truth. Japan suffered terribly in the last war, but just in twenty years' time, Japan has emerged as one of the most prosperous countries of the world. Japan's recovery and growth is spectacular and unprecedented; she had never reached this height before. The same is true of Germany, which went through the worst of death and destruction. Not one, but two wars visited her in the lifetime of a single generation.

Is it not amazing that twenty years after her defeat in the First World War Germany was again ready for the Second World War? And no one can say that in another ten years' time she will not be ready for the Third World War. It is ironic that we emphasize only the destructive side of war and overlook its creative possibilities. War awakens our slumbering consciousness. In facing the challenges of war our energies come alive, active and creative. In fact, with destruction comes creativity; they go hand in hand in life.

That is why Krishna, who lives a sensuous and colorful life, who plays the flute and loves singing and dancing. also accepts the challenges of a great war and becomes its instrument. And he delivers a spiritual sermon like the Geeta on the battleground. I For him there is no contradiction between a flute and a missile and a Geeta.

People like Neminath don't leave their mark on history. It is interesting that of the twenty-four Jaina tirthankaras only two, the first and the twenty-third, are mentioned in Hindu scriptures. About the twenty-second tirthankara, it is guessed that the person named as Ghor Angiras is no other than Neminath. Even Mahavira is not mentioned in Hindu scriptures. All the tirthankaras were charismatic and renowned, but they could not leave their mark on history. In fact sacrifice, renunciation means severance of all ties with history; it means departure from the world of events, doings and non-doings. Renunciation is the journey into a space where nothing is made and un made, where utter emptiness reigns