Nav Smarana

SR No.: 008333
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Vinod Kapashi
Publisher: Vinod Kapashi
Total Pages: 224
Language: English, Sanskrit
Classification: Book_English, Devotion, Worship, Worship, J000, & J999
File Size: 922 KB

Page 69

Verse No. 17 O Lord of the Jinas! The devotees who meditate upon you attain to your superior ability in this world. This is like a phenomenon of water when (continuously) looked upon as nectar attains the qualities of nectar and destroys the effect of poison.
Verse No. 18 O Omnipotent being! even the followers of the other schools of philosophy certainly resort to you alone, mistaking you for Hari, Hara and other gods. This is like a case wherein a white conch is mistaken as having various colours by those who suffer from a defect in their eyes.
(Hari is another name of the Hindu god Vishnu and Hara means Shankara, the god of destruction.)
Now the poet describes eight divine attributes of the Tirthankara. They have been discussed in quite a detail in Part 2.
These eight attributes happen or are created by other demigods to proclaim the glory of the Tirthankara during the time of the divine sermon.
These eight attributes are called the 'Eight Pratihäryas'. Here we shall see those eight attributes in the following eight verses. Verse No. 19 (1) The Ashoka tree: Leave aside the case of a human being, (for) even a tree becomes free from sorrow (ashoka) on account of it's being in your proximity at the time you preach. Does not the world of living beings including even trees awake (or become free from sorrow) at the rising of the sun?
Comments: Here a dual meaning (shlesh) is applied. A Tirthankara is seated under a tree called the Ashoka. In Sanskrit language ashoka also means (a-shoka) absence of sorrow implying that the Ashoka tree has really become a shoka (free from sorrow) in the proximity of the divine presence.
Verse No. 20 (2) The Shower of Flowers: O master of all monks, it is a matter of surprise that an uninterrupted shower of celestial blossoms falls down all around you with their stalks turned downwards, or why in your presence fetters of the good-minded certainly fall down (disintegrate).
Comments: Again whilst saying that all flowers fall in such a manner that their stalks have turned downwards, the poet tries to imply that the devotees' karma also falls downwards in the presence of the Tirthankara, Pärshvanätha. In the Bhaktämara Stotra, the poet has described the shower of flowers in this fashion: "When the flowers, mixed with fragrant drops of rainwater are falling down in the gentle breeze, from the trees like Mandär, Sundar, Nameru and Supärijäta (names of the trees) it gives an impression as if the shower of your gentle words is falling down."
Verse No. 21 (3) The Divine Speech. It is proper that your speech which springs up from the ocean of your grave heart is regarded as ambrosia; for, by drinking it, the noble ones (bhavyas) who participate in the supreme joy, quickly attain the status of permanent youth and immortality.