Book Title: Anekantavada
Author(s): Harisatya Bhattacharya
Publisher: Atmanand Jain Sabha

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Page 232
________________ 195 bidding him to strip himself naked, if he desired to hear any of his doctrines". Plutarch records that this great Indian saint plainly told Onesi. critus, although he took the name of Alexander the Great, “You should not hear me on any other condition, though you came from Jupiter himself”. Such was the fearless, naked saint, Calanus who was most probably a Jaina recluse and had the boldness to defy the invitation of the world-conqueror. Yet, the king of Taxila was the man who could and did persuade, the proud saint to call upon Alexander. This shows that the king of Taxila must have been a man of great religious sense. Possessed of immense resources and great talents this king avoided & war with Alexander and his reasons are manifest in what he stated. He pointed out how war might be inevitable in certain cases but that how again, it might be avoidable in most cases. His arguments were practically based on the docrine of Syad-vāda,-a careful consideration of the different causes of war. Were his agruments specious ? By no means ; for they are true and applicable to the situation even of to-day. There is no concealing the fact that the feelings between America and Russia are strained and slowly and almost surely the two great powers are on this Jain Education International For Private & Personal Use Only www.jainelibrary.org

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