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PART II GANADHARS AND ÄCHÄRYAS
him and Jainism. They approached King Kumärpäl and said, "Acharya Hemchandra is a very egotistic person and has no respect for Hindu gods." King Kumärpäl was not ready to accept these accusations against his spiritual guru, so to prove their point, the Brahmins requested that King Kumärpäl invite the Acharya to the temple of Lord Shiva. They sought to humiliate the Acharya in front of the King, since they believed that he would not go to the temple and bow down to Lord Shiva. When Acharya Hemchandra appeared, King Kumärpäl said, "We will go to the temple of Lord Shiva." He accepted the offer without any hesitation. The Brahmins, barely able to conceal their joy, were delighted that their plan was working. To the surprise of the Brahmins, Acharya Hemchandra bowed down in front of Lord Shiva and said,
"Bhavbijänkura jananä Rägädyähä Kshaymupagata Yasya;
Brahmä Vä Vishnurvä Haro Jino Vä Namastasmai." "I am bowing down to that God who has destroyed passions like attachment (Räga) and aversions (Dvesha)
which are the cause of worldly life whether he is Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, or Jin"
By this modest act, Acharya Hemchandra proved his noble attitude with his willingness to respect other faiths and pray to the virtues of other deities. This generous attitude is inherent in Jain philosophy. Jainism does not hold itself as superior to other religions, but as peacefully coexisting with them. Under Acharya Hemchandra's influence, King Kumärpäl accepted Jainism as his religion. He prohibited violence and the killing of any animals in his kingdom, and instituted many laws that nurtured Jain religion. Vegetarianism was soon a trait not only of Jains but of all the people of Gujarat. Acharya Hemchandra composed several literary works consisting of many verses. He was the first to put nonviolence on a political platform and was the architect of the greatness and unification of Gujarat. In the field of metaphysics, he was a Yogi. His work, Yoga-shästra, a treatise on yoga, is very famous. People called him "Kalikäl Sarvajna" meaning "all knower in the present era of darkness". He died in 1173 A.D. at the age of eighty-four. Jain culture still shines bright in Gujarat due to the influence of the literary works contributed by the great Acharya Hemchandra.
Moral: Mother Pähini's sacrifice of her love for her son is very praiseworthy, demonstrating willingness to serve the community over her self-interest or attachment for her son. Because of Acharya Hemchandra's influence as a teacher, King Kumärpäl accepted Jainism and became a Jain. It is because of this that Jainism and vegetarianism flourish in Gujarat. Acharya Hemchandra's contribution of numerous literary masterpieces is a treasure for us. By studying these books, we can pay tribute to him.
12 - Questions: 1. What did the Ächärya predict when he heard Pähini's dream? What did she name her son? 2. When he was a small boy, what did the Acharya tell Pähini? Did she agree or disagree? 3. At what age did Somchandra became an Acharya? 4. Where did Ächärya Hemchandra live? Whom did he have a lifelong relation with? 5. How did Ächärya Hemchandra prove his noble attitude and his willingness to respect other faiths?
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JAIN STORY BOOK
