Agam 33 Prakirnak 10 Viratthao Sutra

Author(s): D S Baya
Publisher: Agam Ahimsa Samta Evam Prakrit Samsthan

Page 24

PREFACE : XXIII
India. Vedas, which are an invaluable and eternal treasure of the Indian sacred lore, are mainly eulogistic in character. Besides the Vedas, too, ample literature has been composed in the genre of panegyrics in the Hindu tradition. As far as the Śramanic traditions are concerned, they are basically logical traditions, which do not believe in the existence of the Godheads. In the ancient works of the Śramanic tradition we find a major emphasis on the spiritual practices and the means of spiritual purification only as opposed to worship and veneration to the Godheads. Jainism is also a faith of the Śramanic tradition and, hence, in it, too, worship and veneration for the godheads have not been the elements of major importance. However, when Lord Mahāvīra was accepted as an object of veneration and as a spiritual beacon, the very first panegyrics were composed in His praise. This panegyric is, today, available as Vīratthui (Vīrastuti) as the sixth chapter of the second primary canonical work Sūtrakrtārga." Possibly Vīratthui marks the beginning of the eulogistic compositions in the Jaina tradition. This composition - Vīrastuti can be called an eulogistic composition only because it describes the virtues and the importance of the persona of Lord Mahāvīra. However, it is different from other such compositions in this genre, in the sense that the eulogist doesn't beg for any personal favour or material benefit from the Lord. After this the next eulogistic composition, in our view, is Namotthunami or Śakrastava, in which all the venerable conquerors of the spiritual foes Arhantas have been eulogised without naming anyone in particular. Whereas the panegyric Vīratthui in the Sūtrakrtārga is a composition in verse, the Śakrastava is in prose. Another difference between these two compositions is that the former - Vīratthui depicts Bhagvān Mahāvīra as a supreme human-being with some
17
Sūtrakıtārgasūtra, Muni Madhukara, 6 Adhyayana.
chapter - Vīratthui