Gyandhara 04

Author(s): Gunvant Barvalia
Publisher: Saurashtra Kesari Pranguru Jain Philosophical and Literary Research Centre

Page 68

The poem is well known by its beginning words "When will that unprecedented auspicious occasion come ?" (Apoorva Ayavasa evo kyare avashe ?) or "Ascending the spiritual ladder" (Gunasthana Kramarohana). Though the poem may appear a bit long, it actually depicts in a nutshell the long arduous spiritual path. It is autobiographical in a sense. It is believed that the poet had reminiscence of nearly 900 past births and in one such past lives the poet had been a direct disciple of the 24th Tirthankara Lord Mahavira. Though the poet expresses his aspirations for the future, if one believes in the poets reminiscence of actual tutelage under great ascetics like Lord Mahavira, it seems that the poet is nostalgic. This nostalgia could be a fortifying factor that make his spiritual aspirations become all the more stronger. One can actually feel the burning desire of the poet to plunge into the life of a full time totally dedicated spirituals aspirant who would not like to spare a single moment for mundane activities nor allow even an iota of consideration for worldly cravings. This highly charged poem expresses such profound aspirations' that it secured a place in Ashram Bhajanavali that is used in Mahatma Gandhi's Ashram.
While the highest aspiration and intense craving for absolute detachment are voiced in the 1st and 2nd stanzas, the 3rd stanza expresses the quintessence of Jaina Spiritualism by stressing upon the point that the journey on the path of spirituality starts only after the dark clouds of ignorance are scattered and the path is illuminated by the knowledge of the pure self. The 4ch stanza speaks about the indomitable spirit and resolute nature of the and why about the psycho-physical activities performed by the aspirant. It also hastens to say that in the end, even the most immaculate activities જ્ઞાનવાર
(૬૧) જનસાહિત્ય જ્ઞાનસત્ર-૪