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NEW STUDIES IN SOUTH INDIAN JAINISM.
III
ŚRAVAṆA BELGOĻA CULTURE.
BY
Prof. B, Seshagiri Rao,
g. (1)
In two previous papers in the Jaina Antiquary. I have outlined how ancient Jainism in South India had inspired its devotees to action and emotion. For, it is only when thought, doctrine or philosophy inspires and sublimates emotion and action, that it becomes a force not only in the lines of individuals, but also in those of communities and nations. And Śravana Belgola, being its most ancient and advanced Karmakshetra or practising and demonstrating ground or 'University,' in South India, and the present number of the Jaina Antiquary being specialised for the elucidation of its various phases of activity, through the ages, I shall gladly avail myself of this opportunity, so kindly given me by the Editor, to describe in some detail, how, from the Sravana Belgola Epigraphs, it appears to me to have functioned as centre of culture, of Siksha and Diksha.
We often hear so very much about Jaina ascetics and asceticism, of Jaina scholars, their dialecties and philosophies, their Raddhantas1 (राद्धान्त) and Siddhantas (सिद्धान्त), that we may be very strongly impressed with the idea that Jainism is for the intellectual few, and even at that, for an elect, fortunate few, who can be fanatically and-as modern materialists may say, or the ancient epicurions said-senselessly' stoic. But a proper appreciation of Jaina memorials will show that the Jaina Sages in ancient times lived their doctrine and their faith and easily made their desciples of all grades and classes of society, men and women, lwe 2 it, however austere
1 See" Inscriptions of ravana Belgola "by Luvis Rice (Bangalore 1850 (ISB No 41 aft etc
was the desire to imfact
1. S. B No. 54 Cf. Day ipila Muni in whom to other son portion of his own form."
| 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 |