Book Title: Illuminator of Jaina Tenets
Author(s): Tulsi Acharya
Publisher: Jain Vishva Bharati

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Page 202
________________ 164 Illuminator of Jaina Tenets ( Lustre IX (Aph.) It (i.e., compassion popular) being intermixed with delusion, is not a means to the purification of the soul. (IV) - (Gloss) Compassion described in the preceding sútra is not capable of fulfilling the end of the purification of soul, on account of its being intermixed with delusion. We resort to compassion in order to purify the soul, but as this (viz. compassion popular) is not capable of serving this purpose, it is not compassion as a matter of fact. Although really speaking compassion cannot be of a dual nature. Yet the common people, because of their beginningless predisposition, believe it (compassion popular) to be a genuine compassion. Agamika examples of (i) Jinarakṣita?, (ii) Abhayakumāra”, with their respective celestial friends, (iii) Aristanemi' and (iv) the elephant Meruprabha* clearly exhibit the distinction between the compassions, popular and proper. (Note) The following stories are recorded in the Jñätsdharmakatha and Uttraradhyayanasūtra which carry a moral : The first story is of Jinapāla and Jinarakṣita. They were two brothers, sons of a merchant called Mākandi in the city of Campa. They were enterprising and wellskilled in trade. They had acquired large fortune by maritime trade. They had made eleven voyages before and proposed to take the twelfth one. Their parents gave their consent with reluctance. They set out in a ship laden with merchandise. But as ill luck would have it, they were caught in a gale and the ship foundered on a submarine rock. Luckily they got hold of a raft and reached an island. The ruler of the island was a demoness. She approached them with a sword in her hand and menacingly demanded them to agree to live with her as her lovers. They gave their consent on pain of death. They lived together for a long time in enjoyment of all sorts of sensual pleasure in the company of the demoness. An occasion arose when she was called upon by the god of the sea to clean the royal household. She could not decline the order. She, however, admonished the two brothers to beguile their tedium by visiting the gardens on the borders of the island except the one in the south. It was alleged that there was a basilisk which would reduce them to ashes by his very look. They, however, did not find a diversion and then visited the southern garden. It was emitting horrible stench. They, however, proceeded and found a man impelled on a stake. The unfortunate man told his sad story. He was seduced by the ruling demoness when he reached the island after ship-wreck. She was offended with him for some slight aberration and punished him to die on the stake. He also warned them of a similar fate unless they sought refuge with a benevolent spirit dwelling in the eastern part of the forest. They found him out and prayed for safety. 1 Vide Jñätsdharmakatha (Vide appended Story No 1). 2 „ Ibid, Ch. I (., „ „ „ 2). 3 „ Uttaradhayayana Sūtra, XXII, (Vide appended Story No. 3). 4 Jñätydharmakatha, Ch. I, l 4). Jain Education International For Personal & Private Use Only www.jainelibrary.org

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