Concept of Divinity in Jainism

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

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als are enjoyed in a heaven. The perfection in rites brings joys on earth or heaven as per the moral quality of the karta and moral purpose behind the rites. It is very much evident that Mimamsa feels that rituals are the most important. Rites are divine. It believes in Vedas which are eternal but declines to accept the existence of God as a creator for the only reason that there is no proof of his existence.123 Further, the Prabhakara school of Mimamsa denies a creator for the universe. 124 Prof. Keith says, “Though the Mimamsa is so deeply concerned with the sacrifice, it has no belief in the doctrine that the rewards of the offerings are to be expected either from the deities to whom the offerings are directed to be made or from God as a creator or apportioner of reward or punishment”. 125 Mimamsa believes in Vedic hymns, a holy Divine, which are inspired by living presence of the deity in the place of worship. 6. Vedanta System :
Under this head, a brief note on Advaita, Vishishtadvaita, and Dvaita systems is presented.
I. Advaita Philosophy of Shankara: Advaita (one ultimate) of Acharya Shankara is based on his interpretation of Vedanta. “Belonging to the nature, as it were, of the omniscient Lord, there are nama (name) and rupa (form), the figments of avidya, indefinable either as identical with or as different from the Lord, the germs of the world-process, and known in the scripture (Shruti) and the traditional literature (Smriti) as maya, shakti (energy) and prakriti (the primordial nature) of the omniscient Lord”. 126 According to Shankara, a self, also called Brahman, is one and only ultimate reality. 127 It is universal and infinite. The objective world is dependent; it is not self-existent, nor is it ultimately real.
God, according to Shankara, can be conceived from two different points of view, transcendental and empirical. According to the transcendental view, God is conscious, real and infinite Brahman (Satyam, Jnana, Ananta Brahman). 128 He is universal infinite and Nirguna Brahman. Brahman is eternal, all knowing, absolutely
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HE CONCEPT OF DIVINITY IN JAINISM