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Satya RanjanBanerjee:Contributionofthe Jainsin Developing MoralFibresofthe Indians
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We can easily say that this one piece of information is good enough to say that seculiarism as one of the administrative measures was followed by one Jaina king, Vastupāla by name, in the 13th century of the Indian history.
A similar type of verse (source not known) found in several books where also a sort of seculiarism is focused, can be cited in this connection. The verse in guestion says that the lord of the three worlds (Trilokanātha) is considered as the same by different religious groups. The verse says -- .
yam saivāḥ samupāsate siva iti brahmeti vedāntino bauddhā bhuddha iti pramāņa-pațavaḥ karteti naiyāyikāḥ/ arhann ityatha jaina-sāsana-ratāḥ karmeti mimāṁsakāḥ
so'yaṁ vo vidadhātu vāñchita-phalaṁ trailokyanātho hariḥ“ “Whom the Saivas worship as Siva, and the Vedāntins as Brahma, the Buddhists as Buddha, and the Naiyāyikas, expert in logic, as the creator and the Jainas, adherent to the teachings of Jina, as arhan (i.e. Jina) and the Mīmāínsakas consider as the karma (actions) that Hari, the Lord of the three worlds, gives us the fruit desired by us."
From these two verses mentioned above, it will not be a case of exaggeration if we say that a sort of seculiarism in the modern sense of the term was followed in the middle history of India and by that a sense of tolerance among the kings and people was prevalent where all sorts of religous faiths could live together in harmony and without any enmity.
Without much ado, I must mention here the Paryūṣaṇa festival of the Jains which, it seems to me, is one of the finest festivals which lead people to the goal of friendship and tolerance in a society. In this festival the Jains maintain a friendship between men and men, and even between men and animals forgetting their enmity, wrath, anger and jealousy. It is one of the compulsory festivals of the Jainas which is normally held between the end of August and the beginning of September of every year. The main purpose of the festivals is to sing and hear the life-stories of Lord Mahāvīra from the Kalpasūtra and
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| SR No. | 520269 |
| Book Title | Jain Journal 2008 01 No 03 |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | Satyaranjan Banerjee |
| Publisher | Jain Bhawan Publication |
| Publication Year | 2008 |
| Total Pages | 56 |
| Language | English |
| Classification | Magazine, India_Jain Journal, & India |
| File Size | 3 MB |