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ŚRAVAŅA BELGOLA. ITS MEANING AND MESSAGE.
BY Prof. S. R. Sharma, M.A.
A thousand thoughts come crowding in my mind as I write, in response to the call to contribute, to this special number of the Jaina Antiquary. It was indeed a very happy idea to bring out this symposium on the eve of the great Abhişeka which is shortly to take place. As the recent appeal of Sir Mirza Ismail rightly indicated, Śravana Belgola is not merely of sectarian interest; it is a national treasure. Like the Taj Mahal and the Kailās Temple, the colossus at Belgo!a has attracted universal admiration. It is well to bear in mind, however, that without underestimating the value of the magnificent Āgrá monument and the marvellous Ellorā excavation, the significance of the Jaina memorials in Mysore is deeper than the proud memories evoked by either the exquisite and enduring fossil of a doting Emperor's dreams, or the granite efflorescence of the artistic and architectural genius of the medieval Hindus. . Great as these and other antiquities undoubtedly are, the meaning of the Mysore monuments is greater still.
Above all, to my mind, Sravan Belgola is most typically Indian, for it enshrines the spirit of sacrifice in the cause of the, Spirit which alone is Life, India has been the home of several religions and schools of thought, but through all of them with the singular exception of the Carvakas-runs one philosophy, one attitude towards Life, one Faith. That Faith is transcendental ; it seeks liberation of the Soul from the trammels of mundane existence; it stands for the ultimate triumph of Spirit over matter. It is the shining beacon of Life across the wasteland of death, Life that is enduring and eternal.
The European may climb the highest peaks in the Alps and the Himalayas, may explore the icy corners of the Arctic and the Antarctic, may dive to the deepest depths of the Atlantic and the Pacific,
| SR No. | 010062 |
| Book Title | Jain Siddhant Bhaskar |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | Hiralal Jain, Others |
| Publisher | ZZZ Unknown |
| Publication Year | 1940 |
| Total Pages | 143 |
| Language | Hindi |
| Classification | Book_Devnagari |
| File Size | 7 MB |