Jainism is an independent dharma. It has its own scriptures, teachers, and path (ahimsa, satya, aparigraha, etc.). While Jain and Hindu communities share a long historical and cultural milieu in India, Jainism is not a sect within Hinduism, and its canonical stories and doctrines are preserved in Jain texts with their own purposes and interpretations. Some legendary figures (like Rishabhanatha) appear in both Jain and Hindu traditions in different ways, but the Jain accounts are not mere retellings of Hindu stories; they are part of a distinct Jain cosmology and lineage.

• A widely cited Jain parable about Rishabhanatha’s era shows how a royal marriage feast could become a scene of violence to animals, and it teaches the Jain emphasis on non-violence. In the Uttaradhyayana-sutra, a prince on his way to marry learns that many animals are caged to be slaughtered for the feast, which leads him to rethink his path and often to renounce worldly life. This sort of story is used to illustrate ahimsa and to critique needless killing. Different Jain traditions (Digambara and Śvetāmbara) may recount details slightly differently, but the core message remains the same: violence toward living beings is contrary to the path of a Jain.

• For additional Jain discussions on these Rishabhanatha stories and their themes of non-violence and compassion, you can read:

- Adhinath Bhagwan stories in Jain Knowledge: - Various Jain stories about birds and animals and their moral lessons:

Note on sources: the Jain texts present these narratives to illustrate key Jain virtues and the non-violence ethos, and they are interpreted within the Jain tradition as part of the Tirthankara biographies and the pancha kalyanaka framework. If you want, I can summarize the exact verses from the relevant Jain sutras in a simple, faithful way.