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श्री वीतरागाय नमः।
THE GOSPEL OF IMMORTALITY AND JOY.
It will undoubtedly be a geat surprise to many of our non-Jaina friends to be told that sainism is not an idolatrous creed and is as bitterly opposed to idol worship as the most iconoclastic religion in the world, yet the fact is as stated. The attitude of Jainism towards idolatry is evident from the following from the Ratna Karanda Sravakachara, a work of paramount authority, composed by Sri Samantabhadracharya, who flourished about the commencement of the second century A. D:
"Bathing in the so-called sacred] rivors and oceans, setting ap heaps of sand and stones (as objects of worship), immolating one-self by falling from a precipice or by being burnt up in fire (as in Sati) are some of the common murhatas (follies). The worshipping, with desire, to obtain favour of deities whose minds are full of personal likes and dislikes is called the folly of devotion to false divinity. Know that to be guru murhata which consists in the worshipping of false ascetics revolving in the wheel of samsara (births and deaths, i. e. transmigration), who have neither ronounced worldly goods, nor occupations nor, himsa (causing injury to others).”
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