Talk:Hinduism and Jainism

Image and OR

I concur with Utcursch's comment. I am further concerned that the image is a mirroring of unsourced misinformation on social media. I am therefore tentatively removing this recently added image by Rizhwickh, till we discuss this and reach a consensus. Rizhwickh: Please find an external reliable source, preferably scholarly, that can verify anything about this alleged location and/or details about this image and location. You can find additional comments about my concerns with this image and uploader User:Rizhwickh about this image on wikimedia commons. Ms Sarah Welch (talk) 23:31, 1 March 2021 (UTC)

"History" section topic: "Impalement" of Jains as a recurring theme in Shaivism

Comments and discussion are welcome on this thread.

It is possible that the story of the impalement of 8000 Jain monks at the Jain center of Madurai in Tamil Nadu was a fabrication. It is also possible and likely that it was based on fact. Such accounts are abundant in Shaiva literature and some Tamil Shaiva temples still have the impalement iron rods on display. As can be seen in the literature, Jains were not the only victims but certainly the primary ones.

For example, the scriptures of the Virashaiva sect of Hinduism, also known as the Lingayatas, present some of the most violent rhetoric found in the literature of mankind. As devotees of the deity Shiva, the Virashaivas rapidly spread the Shaiva religion across southern India, often to the great detriment of other religious communities. Accounts of their exploits are recorded in Virashaiva scriptures such as the BASAVA PURANA which was dedicated to the founder of the movement, Basava (12th cent. AD). As can be seen in these stories, the Virashaivas especially coveted the cities and temples built by the Jains who were widespread and well-established in the region, and who were the primary targets for destruction by the Virashaivas. Forced conversion, ethnic cleansing, and genocide against the Jains are recurring themes in the Basava Purana:

The Story of Iruttandi (from the BASAVA PURANA, ch. 6):

"In Chellattiruvaluru there lived a devotee of Kama Killer called Iruttandi, who had been blind since birth.... Then Black Throat gave him eyes to see, AND HE SOUGHT OUT THE JAIN VASADIS [TEMPLES] AND DESTROYED THEM. FURTHERMORE, HE BLINDED ALL THE JAINS. By this means, Iruttandi demonstrated the power of our ganas."

The Story of Pilla Nayanaru (from the BASAVA PURANA, ch. 6):

"Then Pilla Nayanaru was happy to make the king a devotee [of Shiva]. AND THEY ROUNDED UP ALL 18,000 JAINS. Meanwhile, Kulacchiriyaru HAD BEEN HEATING IRON SPEARS, AND HE NOW USED THEM TO IMPALE THE JAINS. Have you not heard, O Jain, what happened in Tiruvuru? That place is intimately associated with devotion. This is the story that has been told before."

The Story of Sankhyatonda (from the BASAVA PURANA, ch. 6):

“In Shantamanga, in the Choda country, there was a man named Sankhyatonda who had been born to Buddhist parents but who had acquired wisdom and begun to oppose the Buddhists. Because of some merit acquired in an earlier life, he had retained a recollection of devotion to Shiva.... [He prayed to Shiva, saying] 'There is no way that I can wholeheartedly worship you here. UNTIL YOU DESTROY THE THREE ANTI-VEDIC TRADITIONS, JAIN, BUDDHIST, AND CHARVAKA, I am going to throw three stones at you three times a day. That is my vow.' And he proceeded to do as he promised.... The Shiva linga raised its hands to protect its head from the stone and smiled. 'I appreciate what you have done, and I am going to give you whatever you want as a boon,' [Shiva] said. At once, Sankhyatonda fell prostrate on the earth. 'O great linga, even Hari and Brahma are unable to know your beginning and end. O embodiment of the linga, though a person may search the Veda in a thousand ways, he will not find you.... May this stone become a stone flower, and may it appear on the side of your head in all your temples,' he requested. WITH THIS REQUEST, O JAIN, SANKHYATONDA DESTROYED ALL THE ANTI-VEDIC RELIGIONS."

-- BASAVA PURANA chapter 6, written by Palkuriki Somanatha, 12th century A.D., translated from Telugu (emphasis added) Source: Rao, Velcheru Narayana. SIVA'S WARRIORS: THE BASAVA PURANA OF PALKURIKI SOMANATHA. Princeton University Press, 1990. 47.138.18.58 (talk) 01:08, 9 July 2023 (UTC)