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२०५] अष्टादश अध्ययन
सचित्र उत्तराध्ययन सूत्र ,
CHAPTER 18 ROYAL SAGE SANJAYA
Foreview
This chapter is named Sanjayiya, on its pricipal character king Sanjaya or Samyata.
In the preceding seventeenth chapter inspiration was given to practise pure sage-conduct. While in this chapter the event is given the change of heart and practising pure sage-hood of a king who was fond of hunting and violent. The Event
Fond of hunting the king Sanjaya, ruler of Kampilyapura went to forest with his fourfold army to prey the deers. Sentry tally ho the deers towards garden and king began to hunt them by arrows. Wounded deers were running all sides. Some of them reaching in garden fell and died there. There was standing in meditation homeless monk Gardabhāli in an avenue.
Chasing the deers king arrived in garden. Seeing monk Gardabhāli there, he thought that these deers are of this monk. He dismissed the horse and began to beg pardon of his fault of hunting deers.
Having completed his meditation monk Gardabhāli uttered-Be fear-free from me and you should also make every life free from fear.
If this event is taken as the introduction to this chapter, then this chapter begins with the words-make every life (living being) free from fear or fearless. • An effective and very good co-ordination of sagehood, philosophical doctrines and history presented in this chapter.
King Sanjaya becomes consecrated hearing the sermon of monk Gardabhāli and being aware about the reality of worldly connections and also the selfishness of relatives. Being expert in right knowledge and conduct he began to wander alone.
Lonely wanderer royal sage once meet the ksatriya royal sage. During conversation kșatriya royal sage established manysided viewpoint propounded by Bhagawana Mahavira as the best in comparison to other philosophical doctrines and one-ended viewpoints.
It is the established truth of Jain philosophy that Bhagawana Rsabhadeva was the first commencer of polyended viewpoint and Bhagawana Mahāvira only propounded it again.
Taking as base the establishment of manyendedism, the ksatriya monk relates the expamples of 19 enlightened great men like Bharat, Sagar, Maghvă etc., who became wellversed in manyendedisin and practising monk-order, obtained liberation.
These examples were given by royal sage kșatriya to royal sage Sanjaya for making him more fixed and steady in Jain order.
As Bhagawana Mahāvira bestowed his sermon to Gautama Gañadhara for not to be negligent even for awhile in the tenth chapter, but that was meant for all the religious persons wishing salvation. In the same way the initiation, philosophic conversation, establishment of manyendedism and the examples of noble and great persons given by kșatriya royal sage are inspiring maxims for all practisers to make them steady in Jain order.
The present chapter contains 54 couplets.
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