Concept of Divinity in Jainism

Author(s): P Ajay Kothari
Publisher: Prakrit Bharti Academy

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second important member of the Hindu Triad or Trinity, made up of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva and is the central figure of worship in the major cult of Vaishnavism, which is followed all over India..5 Vishnu is the God of far extending motion and pervasiveness who, for man in distress, penetrates and transverses the space to make his existence possible.66 The central and most important basis for the concept of Vishnu was the man Vasudeva, an ancient hero who was deified by his kinsmen and followers. Narayana (Vishnu), the cosmic God, is portrayed as the Supreme God, lying on the coils of Shesha, the serpent, floating on the primeval waters, the resting place of all worlds. The avatara forms of Vishnu are numerous.67 Avatara means “the descent of the Lord into the world of men and animals.” A Hindu believes in the doctrine of the Avataras: “As He (the Supreme Spirit) is an ocean of boundless grace, kindness, love and generosity. He assumed various similar Godlike nature and time after time incarnated Himself in the several worlds, granting to his worshipers rewards according to their desires, namely, religion, riches, earihly love and salvation; and descending, not only with the purpose of relieving the burden of earth but also to men even such as we are, so revealing Himself in the world as to be visible to the sight of all, and doing such marvellous works as to ravish the hearts of all beings high and low”.68 This idea is beautifully expressed in the Bhagavatgita by Krishna, when he tells Arjuna that he becomes incarnate in age after age for the deliverance of the righteous, the chastisement of the wicked, and for the establishment of virtue and righteousness in the world whenever good decays and the evil becomes triumphant. 69 The ten well known incarnations of Vishnu are --1. Fish (Matsya), 2. Tortoise (Kurma), 3. Boar (Varaha), 4. Man-lion (Narsimha), 5. Dwarf (Vamana), 6. Parashurama, 7. Rama, 8. Krishna, 9. Buddha, and 10. Kalkin.70
Myths tell us that the Divine Vishnu incarnated himself as Fish (Matsya) to deliver the Vedas from the demons," as Tortoise (Kurma) to sustain the world on his back,72 and as Boar
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HE CONCEPT OF DIVINITY IN JAINISM