Golden Steps To Salvation

Author(s): Padmasagarsuri
Publisher: Arunoday Foundation

Page 86

72
Knowledge of Shastras would be futile and ineffective if it is not put into action. But the knowledge of Shastras is not unimportant because it is that knowledge which inspires action. But if we think of their relative importance action is of the highest importance. Shastra, dharma and acharan; of these acharan (action) is of greater importance than the other two :
अशेभ्यो अन्पिना श्रेष्ठाः प्रन्धिभ्यो पारिणोवराः । धारिभ्यो शानिनः श्रेष्ठाः ज्ञानिभ्यो व्यवसायिनः ॥ Ajnebhyo granthinah shreshthāḥ Granthibhyo dhärino varah Dhāribhyo jnāninah shreshthah
Jrānibhyo vyavasāyinaḥ. It is said in Manusmriti that
“Those who study the Shastras are better than ignorant people; those who get them by heart are better than those who merely study them. Those who assimilate the Shastras are better than those who merely memorize them. But those who act according to their knowledge are better than those who possess only a theoretical knowledge of the Shastras."
Preaching is easy; but practising the precepts is difficult. If a death occurs in somebody else's house, we easily condole with the bereaved and give them comfort and consolation but if we suffer bereavement, we cannot check our tears and sorrow, we cannot control our sorrow, and we cannot console our own minds and hearts. This kind of thing happens not only in the case of Shravakas and shravikas. but also in the case of Sadhakas because all of us are Sadhakas, but not Siddhas.
What was the plight of the first Ganadhara Gowtama Swamy, the staunch follower of Lord Mahāvira whc was the leader of fourteen thousand Sadhus (hermils), after Lord Mahāvira attained Nirvana? All of you know that