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JAUNI MONUMENTS
Indras, etc.)) that fill the Jaina Pantheon speak for the Jaina belief in godhood. But their gods ant not creators of thc universe, for creation implies volition or desire to create which can be spoken of only if there is anything which hitherto is not but must come into existence. The world is infinite and was never created at any particular moment. It is subject to integration and dissolution. Its constituent elements or magnitudes (astikāyas) including the soul are cternal and indestructible ; but they change their forms and conditions. These changes take place in the two eras avasarpini and utsarpiņi. The desire to create would imply imperfection which will have to be attributed to God if he is to be the creator of the universe. Also the theory of creation, if accepted, will give rise to theories of a more complicated nature such as causation, which must eventually point to imperfection. The creator will be only a man, needy and therefore imperfect as any other. Jainism attempts to raise man to godhood and to inspire him to reach it as nearly as possible by "steady faith, right perception, perfect knowledge, and, above all a spotless life." Thus it will be seen that Jainism believes in godhood and Jaina iconography speaks of innumerable gods. Here it should be noted that in Jainism a sharp line of distinction is drawn between gods and dēvas ; the former are called Siddhas and the latter are described as mundane souls. All souls can aspire to godhood. To avoid confusion we explain Siddhas as emancipated perfect souls, and devas as celestial beings in the mundane existence.
Jaina iconography as it is available to us to-day is so mixed up with Hindu iconography that a correct description of the various gods and goddesses occupying the Jaina pantheon is necessary to prevent them from being confused with their present equivalents in the Hindu pantheon, Though Brahmanical divinities have been included they have been accorded only inferior positions-a feature that luckily marks them out clearly. The
| SR No. | 011058 |
| Book Title | Jaina Monuments and Places First Class Importance |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | T N Ramchandran |
| Publisher | Veer Shasan Sangh Calcutta |
| Publication Year | |
| Total Pages | 112 |
| Language | English |
| Classification | Book_English |
| File Size | 11 MB |