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the Jainas is best reflected in the words of the Jaina Acharyas. For instance, Haribhadra Suri, an erudite scholar of Jainism and a Brahmana by birth says, ''It is not because I have partiality for Mahavira that I resort to him. Nor is it due to my hatred for Kapila and others (the propounders of other religions) that I do not become their follower. My following one and discarding the others is based upon one principle viz., tbat he whose words stand the test of reasoning must be followed. "* A similar idea is expressed by him in the following verse:
बन्धुन नः स भगवान् रिपवोऽपि नान्ये साक्षान्न दृष्टचर एकतरोऽपि चैषाम् । श्रुत्वा वचः सुचरितं च पृथग् विशेषं वीरं गुणातिशयलोलतया श्रिताः स्मः ॥
-लोकतत्त्वनिर्णय.
Hemachandracharya, too, corroboratest. this statement by emphasizing that Aptatva is the criterion to distinguish right from wrong. Does this not go to prove that Jainism has nothing to do with blind faith ?
Perhaps, it is a peculiarity of Jainism alone that its followers have praised God by addressing * पक्षपातो न मे वीरे न द्वेषः कपिलादिषु । युक्तिमद् वचनं यस्य तस्य कार्यः परिग्रहः ॥
न श्रद्धयैव त्वयि पक्षपातो न द्वेषमात्रादरुचिः परेषु । यथावदाप्तत्वपरीक्षया तु स्वामेव वीर प्रभुमाश्रिताः स्मः ॥
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