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Bhagaval 3:Preface
of such powers, though there is no uniform development of that power in all of them. The first section of the Sataka provides much valuable information about this
power.
The anecdote of Tamali, the ascetic, testifies the truth that the tenets of Jainism had a spiritual background and as such they stood for a universal religion at all levels, not being confined to any kind of sectarian narrowness. Ascetic Tamali, by dint of the power of his austerity, was born as its chief in the second heaven, called Isana. The prediction that though a heretic, he would attain liberation in future could not be possible, had there been any sectarian bias in the mind of the predictor. In the present Sataka, we have a very attractive and practical description of the mutual relationship between Śakra, the chief of the first heaven, and Isänendra, the chief of the second heaven.
We do not find any kind of direct relationship between gods and humans. The relationship, if any, is indirect. The anecdote of Sanatkumara, the chief of the third heaven, is a testimony thereof. Mahāvīra's religion fascinated him. That he was an admirer and well-wisher of his religious order was disclosed by Mahāvīra himself." Lord Mahāvīra has depicted at several places the events of his own life. In the eleventh year of his ascetic life, there (3.105-116) occurred a fight between Camarendra and Sakra. Camarendra concealed and sheltered himself between the feet of Lord Mahāvīra, which was a hair-raising event."
The relative velocity of Camarendra and Vajra (the weapon of the Indra) can be computed with reference to the science of kinetics and kinematics.
The protean power of gods is their birthright. But humans too can acquire such power by practice of austerities, which in its different aspects has found lucid description as a topic of the spiritual or occult science. The ancient science of the practice of austerities for acquiring protean powers fell into oblivion. Reference to such powers is a special feature of the Bhagavati Sūtra. Such powers are inherent in the air-bodied beings and also in the clouds, which in, Jainism, are living organisms. But their powers are very meagre and undeveloped.?
The description of four custodian gods in the Sakra's domain, in this Sataka, raises an intriguing question. In Jainism, there is no God as the originator and the ruler of the universe, as in monotheistic religions. The natural events are governed by the cosmic laws. Are then the custodian gods the governers of the natural events? The descriptions of these custodians give an impression that the same natural events are connected with the guardians and the associate gods, who, however, do not interfere in every natural event. But it is evident from the descriptions that occurrence of some natural events are within their knowledge. The Fiendish youths, the Luminous gods and the Forest deities follow the wishes of the custodian gods. They sometimes influence and change the natural events in accordance with their orders. This is not mentioned in our canonical text, though it can be gathered from other canonical sources" that draugnt, floods, thunders, lightning-flashes etc. are also made by gods. In ancient times natural disasters, floods, epidemics etc. were considered due to the wrath of gods, and for the mitigation of the horrors wrought
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