Which of the following statements regarding Jainism is correct ?a)Sall...
Pratikraman is a ritual during which Jains repent for their sins during their daily life, and remind themselves not to repeat them. While in extreme Jain austerity/ Sallekhana the body is slowly starved to death. Since the founding of the religion, Jainism has given prominence to Sallekhana, death by ritual fasting facing north, as exemplified in the deaths of Bhadrabahu and Chandragupta Maurya. So, Option (a) is not correct.
The existent reality in Jainism consists of three basic categories – Sentient (that which has consciousness), material, and neither sentient nor material. The Sentient category is represented by the jiva (Soul). Hence Jainism believed in the existence of the soul. According to the Jaina doctrine, the Jiva has three main qualities – consciousness, bliss and energy. So, Option (b) is not correct.
Shravanabelagola is an important Jain pilgrimage Centre in South Karnataka. Shravanabelagola is home to the 18 m high statue of Lord Gometeshwara, considered to be one of the world’s tallest free-standing monolithic statues. Constructed in 981 AD by Chamundaraya, a Ganga warrior, it is carved out of a single block of granite and looms on the top of Vindhyagiri Hill. Bahubali, a much-revered figure among Jains, was the son of Rishabadeva (The First Jain Tirtankara) and the brother of Bharata Chakravartin. He is said to have meditated motionless for a year in a standing posture and that during this time, climbing plants grew around his legs. So, Option (c) is not correct.
After 200 years of Mahavira’s death, a council was convened in Pataliputra, modern Patna, under the leadership of Sthulabhadra, who stayed back in Magadha during the famine. But the Jainas who had returned from the south boycotted it and refused to accept its decisions. From then onwards, the southerners began to be called ‘digambaras’ and the Magadhans ‘shwetambaras.’ So, Option (d) is correct.