Jain seer writes to Suresh Kumar over glaring errors on Jainism in Karnataka history textbook

Jain Kashi Mutt seer Bhattaraka Charukeerthi Swami has written to Minister for Primary and Secondary Education Suresh Kumar on stalling the distribution of II PUC history textbook in the Kannada language which has glaring mistakes about Bhagawan Mahaveera and the Jain religion.

Having noticed the mistake, Jain Kashi Mutt seer Bhattaraka Charukeerthi Swami has written to the Minister to not distribute the textbooks to students until the corrections were incorporated.

A few paragraphs on page 33, 34 and 35 in the textbook had mistakes related to Mahaveera’s history and his message. The text gives the meaning that Bhagawan Mahaveera was married. In Shwethambara sect there is a belief that Mahaveera was married before becoming Bhagawan. But the Digambara sect believes that he was ‘Balabrahmachari’.

Further, the seer said the textbook declares that Jainism was popular only in Kosala, Vanga and Magadha, which is not true. The first Theerthankara’s birth year declared as Shalivahana Shaka is also not true.

He said celibacy was one of the sacred vows introduced by Mahaveera while the rest of vows - non-violence, truth, ‘asteya’ (not stealing), and ‘aparigrapha’ (non-acquisition) were propagated by the previous Theerthankaras.

“The history textbook of II PUC declares these vows as Panchasheela, but it should be mentioned as Pancha anuvrata,” said the seer.