Bhagavana Mahavira

Author(s): Chauthmal Maharaj
Publisher: Jainoday Pustak Prakashan Samiti Ratlam

Page 55

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[ The Six Aras
able to their palate and the diseases increase instead of being cured by medicines. No one, in this Ara, feels scrupulous about the purity of food and drink.
Untouchables ( people of lower ranks in society) are greatly despised; they are not entitled even to hear a word of sympathy form other people to say nothing of a warm embrace. The system of charity is changed, and is utilised for spreading one's name and winning fame in the world, The ism gives way to atheism; ignorance, infatuation, and selfishness increase; and the omniscient God recedes far behind before one's own nearest and dearest. Real truth, hon. esty and other good qualities also come to an end quickly with the Ara; while diseases, fears, sorrows and miseries ever make fresher claims on all the parts of the country, and famines come with all their fierceness and destructive force on their part. On account of conduct being corrupt and living unnatural the span of man's life in this Ara never extends beyond 200 years. However happy their life, and however rich their food and drink may be, people in this Ara cannot attain a longer life than 200 years. Jealousy is rampant everywhere; the strong oppress the weak; deceit, falsehood, sin and fraud are seen everywhere in their worst forms; temperance gets choked; the prevalence of lust and corruption among the living animals called men attains to such a height that it breaks the bounds like a river in flood in the rainy season the rulers wage war for petty gains, and use their subjects as pawns in this game of chess; they take away life as well as wealth of their people; and, while most of the wealth of state is spent on gratifying their lust, fresh taxes are levied on poor folks from day to day. The above named things increase in intensity towards the close of the