Unknown Pilgrims

SR No.: 007014
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: N Shanta
Publisher: Sri Satguru Publications Delhi
Publication Year: 1997
Total Pages: 820
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 19 MB

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The Unknown Pilgrims
D - In the land of the great #cārya Hemacandra
From Mount Abū one at once enters Gujarāta, where, as in Rājasthāna, the Jaina dharma has established firm roots. This state possesses three Mounts of its own, centres of pilgrimage: Satruñjaya, Girinagara, Kurukula Sikhara (Tārangā). Satruñjaya and Girinagara are temple-cities. Tradition holds that Jainism had some sort of presence in this region dating right back to extremely ancient days; Neminātha is said to have attained kevala-jñāna at Ujjayanta, presentday Girinagara.156 In the absence of historical documents one can simply affirm that the dharma was in existence in Gujarāta in the first centuries of our era.157 Mount Sairuñjaya, "victory over enemies" - those which militate against realisation of the ātman - houses eight. hundred and sixty-three temples of different epochs, the ones being built on others which had collapsed in ruins or had been destroyed at the time of the Musulman invasions. 158 Sadhvis consider it a rare privilege to be able to make this mahātirtha, Great Pilgrimage, and certain ones have a pāthaśālā (school) at Pālitāna, the little town at the foot of the Holy Mountain.
156 Cf. KS 165; P 103 ff.
157 Cf. Jamindar, 1975, pp. 75-79.
158 of the temples extant today the most ancient date back to the XVIth c.; there were temples there at a much earlier date, but they have not been preserved. Cf. Burgess, 1977, Introd.; ibid., pp.d 40-47 on the subject of the Māhātmya, the very ancient work which recounts several legends concerning Satruñjaya and speaks highly of the pre-eminent holiness of the place from the time, so tradition affirms, of Adinātha.