Book Title: Anandrushi Abhinandan Granth
Author(s): Vijaymuni Shastri, Devendramuni
Publisher: Maharashtra Sthanakwasi Jain Sangh Puna
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38 Dr. J. C. Sikdar
In this respect he only followed in the footsteps of his predecessor and erected a great edifice of Nirgrantha Dharma on the foundation laid by the latter. He persisted in carrying out his mission with his best effort and attention and courage and brought it to a successful conclusion and passed away with glory, entrusting his work to be continued by his dvoted followers to perfection. A Reflection on his ascetic life Vairagya (detachment) of Mahavira
If the thought on Kāmini-Kancana (woman and wealth) goes away from the mind of anyone, then it will be devoted to the realization of paramātmā (Supreme Soul) and then he who is bound by Karmas can be free, but he who is averse to paramātmā is bound by Karmas, so one must be anāsakta (detached from the worldly life). If there is no vairagya (detachment) in anybody, he appears to be a straw and vulture like person. The study of the life of Tirthankara Mahāvīra reveals that a strong divine feeling of detachment and dispassionateness to the worldly life arose in his soul, so he renounced the world at the age of thirty. He became free from the attachment of Kāmini-Kancana of the royal family. He was dispassionate, his soul became anxious to realize the divine knowledge, truth and reality and paramātma like a mother with intense love for her child. He did not want anything but the attainment of spiritual relization of paramātmā, The world appeared to him as well and he felt that he was sinking down into it. He regarded his relatives as foreign people from whose association he desired to flee away, and actualiy he left the world'. He did not think at all that he would first, make all provision for his family, then he would leave the world and practise austerity and meditation on Supreme Soul. Like a good and industrious farmer he made all efforts to irrigate his field of spiritual life and next he took rest at night, on the rise of his divine feeling for renouncing the worldly life, and he did not look back to his relatives and home, etc. with a feeling of attachment. He tore up all worldly ties and practised severe austerities and meditation for the attainment of Kevalajñana and Kevaladarśana (Omniscience and Omni-self-awareness).
The worldly people die in the nets of their own Karmas like the silkworms. So long as one does not know paramātma the world is falsc and noneternal. Then the man who forgets paramātmā and always says: “This is mine, this is mine", sinks down into the world, being enmeshed in the nets of Kāmini and Kāñcana with their alluring charm. He becomes so ignorant in Māyā (illusion) that he cannot fly away from the worldly bondage of Karma, although there is a path for flight. After realizing paramātmā, if one leads a worldly life, the world is not agitya (non-eternal). Tirthankara Mahavira became free from the nets of the worldly attachment to Karma by renouncing the world and realized parmātmā by practising severe austerities and meditation for twelve years at Tțmbhaga gaon on the bank of Rjukula."
It is difficult to practise austerity in the worldly life as there are many hindrances on the way to spiritual realization. That is why Mahävira went to lonely and quiet places to practise austerity and meditation and exerted himself
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