Tulsi Prajna 1975 07

SR No.: 524503
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Mahavir Gelada
Publisher: Jain Vishva Bharati
Publication Year: 1975
Total Pages: 116
Language: Hindi
Classification: Magazine, India_Tulsi Prajna, & India
File Size: 7 MB

Page 67

Yakša worship is also proved by the fact that Vaisravana Kubera, the lord of Yakşas, is probably the most prominent of the Hindu gods to be worshipped by the Jains and Buddhists alike. This is proved by the references to him in their canonical texts. He was popular even outside India. 47 As Jainism found favour with the traders from quite early times, it is natural that god of wealth Kubera, who was the supreme lord of the Yakşas, should be popular among the devotees of Pārsva and Mahāvīra.
riably had an image 13 of the Yaksa to whom it was dedicated. There is also reason to believe the image worship was originally a non-Aryan custom and it probably started with the worship of Yaksa images. Image worship was also an integral part of Jain religion from the earliest times. Even in the most ancient texts of the Jains we have references to images and shrines dedicated to various Tirthankaras. If the evidence of the Hāthigv mpha inscription is to be believed, a Nanda king of the 4th century B. C., took away a Jina image from Kalinga. 44 It is also possi. ble that early Jain sculptors got inspiration from the Yakşa images installed in various shrines. Even there is reason to believe that the association of every Tirthankara with a particular tree was due to the influence of Yaksa worship which was often connected with ruksa or tree worship. We should remember that the original Sanskrit word caitya also meant a sacred tree. 4 5 Further the commentary of the Dhammapada describes the Udena and Gotamaka shrines as rukkhacetiyas, This is not surprising since most of the Yakşa shrines, according to the Jain canonical texts, were situated in the midst of big gardens (ujjäna)46
It is clear from the above discussion that early Jainism had close and intimate connexion with Yakșa worship and gradually incorporated and absorbed some of its salient features. The Jains, it should be noted, had a very favourable attitude towards the so-called malignant spirits. This is proved by Vimala's treatment of some Rākşasa characters of the Råmāyana in his celebrated Paumacariyam. "Characters like Rāvana, Kumbhakarna and others are represented in this poem as vegetarian Vidyādharas, believing firmly in non-violence Vimalasūri, who flourished in the 1st century ( 530 years after the Nirvāna of Mahāvira ) A. D, even takes the author of the Rāmày ana to task, for delineating the Raksasas as cruel beings. 48 As firm believers in non-violence,
The intimate connexion of both Jainism and Buddhism with
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