396 Reviews Reviews

original sourcesof individual lemmataare given without mentioningspecific and contemporary

religiousp
versenumbers.Occasionally,referencesto the relevantsecondaryliteratureare ::il.:::"O
inserted.A welcomeunusualadditionis a separateindex of the Sanskritwords One decadeafter Der Jainismus,Walth
at the end ofthe book. The dictionarywas obviouslycollatedat greatspeedand Lehre der Jainas.Nach den altenQuellendt
would have benefitedfrom more extensiveconsultation.In this way the lacunae & Co., 1935) appeared,and a translatio
and minor mistakescould have been limited. The lntroductionclaimswithout publishedin 1962 (TheDoctrine of theJain
hesitationthat the Svetambara canonof forty-fivetextswas redactedin 508 CE, (Delhi: Motilal Banarsidas,196211977 120
thoughthe debatedconventionaldatesare CE 453 or 466 (p. l). Thereis also only systematicrepresentation of Jainism
no specific 'school' associatedwith anothercited list of fifty-two canonical Schubring'sexempiarybook remainsunsurp
texts.Moreover,the use of the word Jinisten(p. l) for the modernword Jains Yet its scopeis limited.It offersonly an an
(Skt. Jainas) soundssomewhatold fashioned.One wonderswhetherGerman the Svetambara canon.Post-canonical andI
Jainswould recognisethemselves if so addressed. Nor doesthe book conveyan impressior
However,theseare minor criticisms.Studentsof Indologyand thosewho Moreover,it is written in a condensed sitra
studyJainismfrom the point of view of Anthropology,History or the Studyof ness for teaching and leaming.The studyir
Religionswill welcomethis extremelyusefuland informativedictionary,which givesmany clueshow the individualcompo
is available in paperback.The author has to be congratulatedfor having ac- can be dated,but inevitably presentsthe m
complishedwithin a shortperiodof time what four generations of distinguished first accessiblescholarlyintroductionto
Prakrit scholarshipin Germanyfailed to do. With his two dictionarieshe has readership,and thereforefor a global audie
preparedthe ground for a transformationof Jainologyin the German-speaking Jaina Path of Purification (Berkeley:Unive
world from an inaccessible'secretscience'of academicelites into a subiect the clear favourite of students,becauser
which canbe easilylearnedandtaught. pretationsand ample leamabledetail of cla
Peter Flilsel contrastto Schubring'sbook, the text is n
Digambara sources.In scope and structu
text, althoughit focusesalmostexclusive
with an excellentchapteron thecategorys
PAULDUNDAS,The Jains. SecondEdition. (Llbrary of Religious Beliefs and centre.
Practices).London: Routledge,2002.XlY,354 pages,index, US$ 35.95. For differentreasons,Glasenapp, Schub
I SBN 0-4 I s -26606-8(pbk),0- 14 s -26605-X (hbk). classicalJain doctrinesin an a-historicalfor
to the differencesbetweencanonicalandcla
At present,only four textbooksin Europeanlanguagescan be recommended medieval and modem developments, suchas
unreservedlyto any studentof Jainism.The oldestand still most comprehensrve Jain sub-sects, in particularthe aniconicse
work is Helmuthvon Glasenapp's Der Jainismus:Eine IndischeErldsungsreli- centuryonwards,or currentreligiouspractic
glor (Berlin: Alf Hiiger Verlag, 1925)which was belatedlytranslatedinto English of a lack of information.Thesepreviousl
under the title Jainism. An Indian Religion of Salvation (Delhi: Motilal Banar- first time explicitly addressedin Paul Dr
sidas,1999).Although it containslong chapterson the historyof Jainismand (London:Routledge,1992),which wassold
the Jain scriptures,the presentationof Jain doctrine is s1'nchronic.lt is largely overdue and much improved secondrevi
basedon the Tattvarthasutraof Umasvdti of the 4'n Century CE, the only text important work was publishedten yearslate
which is acceptedby most Jains.Yet, sourcesfrom all periodsareused,under seventy-eightpages longer due to the pub
the assumptionthat the 'essentialaspects'of Jain doctrineremainedthe same material, an extendedindex and bibliograp
throughthe ages.At the time, Glasenapp'schapterson Jain universalhistory flecting the unprecedentedincreaseof res
and hagiographywereoriginal contributions.Theirprincipal sourcesarethe.works during the last decade.The value of the tex
of the SvetambaraauthorsHemacandra(12'" CE) and Vinayavijaya(17'nCE), use of diacritics throughoutthe text whos
though consciousattemptsare made to give equal considerationto Digambara reviewersof the frrst edition.Originally,the
views throughout.The last chaptersof the book provide a generaldepiction of Jainism for the seriesLibrary ofReligiousB
Reyiau.r
rdta are glv€Il without mentioning specific
Icesto the relevant secondary literafure are
n is a separateindex of the Sanskrit words
y was obviously collated at great speed and
lnsrve consultation.In this way the lacunae
r limited. The Introduction claims without
of forty-five texts was redacted in 50g CE.
es are CE 453 or 466 (p. l). There is also
r anotlter cited list of fitty_two canonical
Jini.sten(p. I ) for the modern word, Jains
fashioned.One wonders whether German
ro addressed.
sms. Studentsof Indology and those who
'of Anthropology,
History or the Study of
y usefilland inlbrmative dictionary.which
rr has to be congratulatedfor havine ac_
ime wharfour generationsof distineuished
d to do. With his two dictionaries*he has
rtronof Jainoktgy in the German_speaking
rcrence'of academic elites into a subieci
" the clear favourite of students,becauseof its lucid style, insightful inter-
t.
Peter Fltigel
'dirion.
(Library of Religious Beliefs and
002. XIV. 354 pages.index, US$ 35.95.
5-2660s-x
(hbk).
uropean languagescan be recommended
r. The oldest and still most comprehensive
r Jainisntus: Eine /nlische Erlisunssreli_
whichwas belaredlytranslatedinto Enelish
tigiun of Salvarior
lDelhi: Motilal Binar_
rg chapterson lhe hisrory ofJainism and
f Jain doctrineis s;,nchronic.It is largely
svati of the 4"' Century CE, the only iext
sourcesfrom all periods are used, under
ects' of Jain doctrine remained the same
rapp's chapterson Jain universal historv
rions.Their principal sourcesare the works
ra (.12"'CE) and Vinayavijaya( l7'h CE).
o give equal consideration to Dieambara
fthe book provide a generaldepiction of
Reviev's 39'7
Jain society and contemporaryreligious practice on the basis of secondary
sources.
One decadeafterDer Jainismus,Walther Schubring'smodernclassicDje
Lehre der Jainas.Nach den alten Quellendargestellt(Berlin: Walter De Gru1ter
& Co.. 1935) appeared,and a translationof the revised German text was
publishedin 1962(The Doctrine of the Jainas. De.scribedafter the Old Sources
(Delhi: Motilal Banarsidas,19621197'712000). For a long time it remainedthe
only systematicrepresentation of Jainisrnin English - its standardportrait.
Schubring'sexemplarybookremainsunsurpassed as a work of originalresearch.
Yet its scopeis limited. It offers only an analyticalsummaryof the contentsof
the Svetambara canon.Post-canonical and Digambarasourcesare not covered.
Nor does the book conveyan impressionof contemporaryJain religious life.
Moreover,it is written in a condensedsiltra-likestylewhich restrictsits useful-
nessfor teachingand learning.The study is not a-historicalper se. Schubring
givesmany clueshow the individualcomponentsof the canonicalcompilations
can be dated.but inevitablypresentsthe materialas a synchronictotality. The
first accessiblescholarly introduction to Jainism for the English speaking
readership,and thereforefor a global audience,was PadmanabhS. Jaini's ?'fre
Jaina Path of Purfication (Berkeley:Universityof California Press,1979). It is
pretationsand amplelearnabledetail of classicalJain soteriologyand ritual. In
contrastto Schubring'sbook, tlie text is mainly basedon post-canonicaland
Digambarasources.In scopeand structurethe work resemblesGlasenapp's
text, althoughit focusesalmostexclusivelyon Jain ethicsand asceticpractice,
with an excellentchapteron the categorysamyak-dariana,or right insight, at its
centre.
For differentreasons,Glasenapp, Schubringand Jainipresentcanonicaland
classicalJain doctrinesin an a-historicalfbrm. Not much consideration is given
to the differencesbetweencanonicaland classicalJainism.nor to post-classical,
medievaland modem developments, such as the emergenceof the contemporary
Jain sub-sects,in particularthe aniconicsectarianJain traditions,from the l1'n
centuryonwards,or currentreligiouspractices,which areonly hintedat because
of a lack of information.Thesepreviouslyunresearched aspectswere for the
first time explicitly addressedin Paul Dundas' admirable study The Jains
(London:Routledge.1992),which was sold out within a few months.The long
overdue and much improved secondrevised and expandededition of this
importantwork was publishedten yearslater. Though structurallyidentical,it is
seventy-eight pageslonger due to the publisher'suse of a larger font, added
material,an extendedindex and bibliography,as well as expandednotes,re-
flecting the unprecedented increaseof researchon this once obscuresubject
during the last decade.The value of the text has been further enhancedby the
use of diacriticsthroughoutthe text whose omissionwas much lamentedby
reviewersof the first edition.Originally,the work was conceivedas a primer on
Jainismfor the seriesLibrary oJ'Religious Beliefsand Practices(editedby John
 398 Reviews
Review

'shiftingna
Hinnells and Ninian Smart) which producesscholarlyintroductionsto the Dundasanalyses the contexhrally
religionsof the world. Yet, as in the caseof Glasenapp,Schubringand Jaini, and religiouspracticesandin thenew edit
c
Dundas' book is not really a text lbr the beginner(as sevenyearsof under- associatidwith Louis Dumont'swork on
in'South I
graduateteachingof Jainismtaughtthe presentwriter).It is rathera commented .*"t"tluity ofreligious identity
sununaryof the stateof the art in Jain Studies.drawing on both textual and .,rtar,."' ti, Of l. Vet, this hypothesis.cl
'lt would b
ethnographicsources.which becameincreasinglyavailablesince 1985,while temporaryparticipants'view:
'In commonwith manycor
contextualising the relevanceof recentfindingswithin the wider academicdis- writes Dundas.
courseon SouthAsian religion,cultureand society.The styleof the well wrir to seeJainism[sic!| as representing thevan
ten book is discursiveratherthanencyclopaedic or matterof fact.Specialists and Sanskritwordsamskrti,"cuiture","civilisa
studentsalike are invitedto deliberatewith the authoroverthe numerouspoints *tri.tt it independent,coherentand self-
of detail of Jain historyand culturewhich remainobscure,and many,now up- intersectwith ihe conceptualworld which
dated,sectionscontainnuggetsof original researchor reflectthe author'sex- ofthe recentanalyticaldistinctionbetwee
tensivepublicationsin this field. of JohnE. Cort)areby no meanscertaln
t
An importantaspectof the book which hasnot beensufficientlyappreciated analysis,andremainto be exploredsince
of the book signalsthe opening up of a n
by reviewersof the first edition such as K.R. Norman (ModernAsian Studies
29, 2 (1995): 439441), perhapsbecauseit is too obvious,is the shift from tend to be the last word'
Jainisn to Jains in the title of the book. which signalsa consciousmove away Thereare mlnor polntsin both editio
from the over-reliance on textsand doctrinestowardsthe studyofthe agentsof provokecriticism,at leastfrom within th
religioushistory.Dundasdoesnot attempt'to give an ethnographic :The major sect'numericallyat anyrate'
accountof
r
.lainism'(p. I I). But his style of writing historyadoptsthe outlookand results are somiwhat speculativein the absence
of the new t-reldstudiesand integratesthem with the classicalIndologicalap- lack of detailed studies on the Digamba
'recentdevelopments' coversthe
proachbefitting a prof-essional Sanskritist.Ratherthantextualideals,questions section
of practiceand identityof individuals,r.nonks semblesfor the first time material on the
andnuns.la),rnenand laywomen.
who would down throughthe centuriesdescribethemselvesand their rnodeof lowedby approximately 30% of all Jains'
life as Jain' (p. 3) move into the foreground.Who are the Jains?Dundasstarts other textbooks. It also describesthe 2(
with the modernSanskritdictionariesand dcfinestheJains (SanskritJaina) as Raiacandraand KanjTSvamT,without ho
the followersof the Jinas, thc spiritualconquerors,suchas Mahavna,the last The chapterheadingdemonstrates the cc
prophetof the Jains: 'The Jainsare at the most basic level thosewho credit of the classicalperiod in the currentaca
v
thesespiritualconquerolswith total authorityand act accordingto their teach- searchcanbe expectedin theseareasas
ing of the ThreeJewels,namely,right knowledge,right faith and right conduct' Dundas'book emphaticallysuccee
(p. 3). This definition alludesto the first aphorismof the Tatnanhasutra which more two thousandyearsof religiousan
lists the threeprincipalmeansof salvation.The problemis that most lay Jains, into unexploredterritoryand settingnev
the irAvakasor listenerswhosehistoricalrole Dundas'book strivesto reassess, vast amountofnew research sincethe l!
areunableto live up to this high ideal andwould not qualif' as categorymembers. edition was done, one wonders wheth
Properknowledgeand properpracticeare difficult to attainat the bestof times pectedor rathera completelynew acc
even fbr faithful ascetics.Dundaspoints out that it is 'not clearwhen the term ettrnographyof the contemporarysub-s
"Jain" was first employedto designatean adherentof a specificreligiouspath', interpretationand idiosyncratlcrltual a
but speculates that'it was probablyin useby the earlycenturiesof the common build uponthe four classicaltextbooks o
e r a ' , ' i t w a s n o d o u b t t h e g r a d u a l e m e r g e n caesoefl f - a w a r e l a i t y s u p p o r t i n g t h e
bondlessasceticwhich led to "Jain" eventuallybecomingcurrent for both the
teachingsof the religion and those who followed thern' (p. 3t-.).This may,
howerer,,nolhavc'happened beforerhe l7'r'century.becomingwidespread oniy
in the 19"'and20"'centuries. Thereis no clearevidencefor earlierusesofthe
word Jaina in the senseof 'followers of the Jinas' to date.On the other hand.
 Reyle,rr.,r
ch producesscholarlyintroductionsto the
the caseof Glasenapp, Schubringand Jaini,
tbr the beginner(as sevenyearsof under-
t the presentwriter). It is rathera commented
r Jain Studies,drawingon both texftraland
me increasingly availablesince 1985,while
centfindingswithin the wider academicdis-
rlhrreandsociety.The styleof the well writ-
ncyclopaedic or matterof fact. Specialistsand
:atewith theauthoroverthe numerousooints
e whichremainobscure. and many.now up-
'original
researchor reflectthe author'sex-
k whichhasnot beensufficientlyappreciated
uch as K.R. Norman (Modern Asian Studies
becauseit is too obvious.is the shift from
book.whichsignalsa conscious moveaway
I doctrinestowardsthe stuilyof the agentsof
attempt'togive an ethnographic
accountof
vntinghistoryadoptsthe outlook and results
ratesthemu,ith the classicalIndologicalap-
tskritist.Ratherthantextualideals.questions
lals.monksandnuns.laymenandlaywomen.
ruriesdescribethemselves and their mode of
oreground.Who are the Jains?Dundas starts
tes and definestheJains (SanskritJaina) as
rirualconquerors. suchas Mahavlra,the last
rre at the most basic level those who credit
al authorityand act accordingto their teach-
-ehtknowledge, right faith and right conduct,
e first aphorismof the Tatnarthasutra which
ralvation. The problernis that most lay Jains,
;toricalroleDundas'bookstrivesto reassess,
:alandwouldnot quali! ascategorymembers.
ticearedifficult to attainat the bestof tirnes
pointsout that it is 'not clearwhen the term
natean adherent ofa specificreligiouspath',
y in useby the earlycenturiesof the common
)nergence of a self-aware laity suppoftingthe
rn" evenhrallybecomingcurrent for both the
se who followedthem' (p. 3f.). This may,
e the 17'hcentury,becomingwidespreadoniy
re ls no clearevidencefor earlierusesof the
versof the Jinas'to date.On the otherhand.
Revietvs 399
'shiftingnature'of Jain-Hinduself-categorisations
Dundasanalyses the contextually
and religious practicesand in the new edition reiteratesa point that is generally
'all or nothing'
associated with Louis Dumont'swork on caste- that thereis no
exclusivityof religiousidentityin'South Asia' but'a commonalityof religious
culture' (p. 6f.). Yet, this hypothesisclearly doesnot correspondto the con-
'It would be misleadingto pursuethis too far',
temporaryparticipants'view:
'In
writesDundas. commonwith manycontemporary Jainwriters,I would wish
to seeJainism[sic!] asrepresenting the variouslevelsof meaningembodiedin the
Sanskritword samskrti,"culture","civilisation",a specificallyJainmodeof life
which is independent,coherentand self-containedand yet at times can also
intersectwith the conceptualworld which surroundsit' (p. 7). The implications
of the recentanalyicaldistinctionbetweenJainismandJain.g(seealsothe work
of John E. Cort) are by no meanscertain,neither for the Jainsnor for academic
analysis,andremainto be exploredsincethereareno easyalternatives. The title
of the book signalsthe openingup of a new field for research.It doesnot pre-
tendto be the lastword.
Thereare minor points in both editionsof the book which will continueto
provoke criticism, at least from within the Jain community. Statementssuch as
;The major sect,numericallyat any rate.is the Svetambara, 'White-clad'(p. 3)
are somewhatspeculativein the absenceof hard data,but reflect the continuing
lack of detailedstudieson the Digarnbaratradition.The somewhatmislabelled
section'recentdevelopments'couers the period from the l5'h century,and as-
semblesfor the first tirnematerialon the aniconicJaintraditionswhich arefol-
lowedby approximately 30o/oof all Jainswithout any detailsbeingmentionedin
other textbooks. It also describes the 20'n centurylay movementsof Snmad
Rajacandraand Kdnjr Svamr,without howevermarking out the modernperiod.
The chapterheadingdemonstratesthe continuing focus on the doctrinal works
of the classicalperiod in the currentacademicdiscourseon Jainism'More re-
searchcanbe expectedin theseareasaswell.
Dundas'book emphaticallysucceedsin presentinga succinctsummaryof
more two thousandyearsof religiousand socialhistorywhile boldly venturing
into unexploredterritory and settingnew targetsfor tuture research.Given the
vast amountofnew researchsincethe 1980s,when the groundworkfor the first
edition was done, one wonders whether a further revised edition can be ex-
pectedor rather a completelynew account,orientedtowardsthe history and
ethnographyof the contemporarysub-sectseachwith its own official doctrinal
interpretationand idiosyncraticritual and institutionalframework.which will
build uponthe four classicaltextbooksofthe Jaintradition.
Peter Fliisel