21. Indus seal showing time segments

Surprisingly an Indus seal found by S. K. Mitra and H. Mode presents the Indus time concept in the form of a coin-like seal that matches the Jain concept of the time belt in which Tirthankars appear in any utsarpini and awasarpini time curve:

A                                   B                       C                                           D

The Hindu concept of time is that of kala or mahakala, the god of death, though also as the observer, Yama. When magnified, the seal gives out beautiful details of A, B, C and D the C and D being the 3^rd and 4^th time segments of Jain time curves concept and B as the period of the 21^st Tirthankara, Naminath, of even long before the birth of lord Krishna of the Hindu belief. Shown as clear dots in a chamber that represents the garbhagriha – the inner sanctum – of the temple. All the dots depict tirthankaras who had appear so far. There are three streaked gaps signifying three more jinas which were then still awaited: Neminath, Parshwanath and Mahavir, in the sixth line of dots in B and C, when the extreme streaks show the closing of the chamber.

Vaishnavites [Hindu followers of the god Vishnu] mention 24 re-embodiments (avataras) of lord Vishnu and include Adinath Rishabha and Mahavir as the re-embodiments of Vishnu in order to merge and identify the most ancient religion of India with Hinduism, i.e. as a branch of it – while in fact it is the other way round and the Jina belief stands as an independent and the most ancient religion of India also in the Indus heritage, indicating the supremacy of soul. Liberated souls, according to Jainism, never come back to the world to be re-embodied. The Hindu concept of time as kaal/ mahakaal or the king of death is not seen anywhere in the Indus texts. Another fact is that on the seals are depicted the celestials exactly as are described in the Jain scriptural texts.

Next issue: 22. Celestials on Indus seals