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166
Illuminator of Jaina Tenets
[Lustre IX
bank of the river Ganges at the foot of the Vindhya hill. In his youth he inherited the lordship of the herd from his deceased parent. In the summer there was a conflagration. He was visited with the reminiscence of the past. He hit upon a plan to clear the big area in the forest of all trees, bushes and bamboos so that forest fire could not prevail in that area. All the elephants laboured hard and cleared the area. Next Summer there was another conflagration in the forest. All the animals of the forest took refuge within that area to escape from death. The elephant, the hero of the story, also went there with his retinue. He raised his foot to stretch his body and when he was going to plant it back on the ground, he saw a hare sitting there. He held up his leg in order that he may not kill the hare and thereby protect the self. He remained in that state for two whole days and a night. The fire ceased. All the refugee animals left the area. But with his leg suspended in the air for such a long period, he was seized with palsy and he dropped down dead.
-Näyädhammkahão, I, 156-78.
For this act of mercy (in the real sense) even in the midst of terrible 'suffering, he acquired prodigious merit and was born in next life as the son of King Śrenika. ५. असंयमपोषकत्वाद् बलप्रयोगादेः संभवाच्च ।
यत्रा संयम पोषणं, बलप्रयोगः, विवशताप्रलोभनादयोऽपि च सम्भवन्ति, तत्र नात्मसाधना भवितुमर्हति ।
5. asamyama-poṣakatvad bala-prayogādeḥ sambhavāc ca.
yatrasamyama-poṣaṇam, bala-prayogaḥ, vivaśata-pralobhanādayo'pi ca sambhavanti, tatra nātma-sadhana bhavitum arhati.
(Aph.) (It is not a means to self-purification) also because it nourishes non-restraint and may involve coercion and the like. (V)
(Gloss) As there is the possibility of the encouragement of nonrestraint, coercion, unaviodability, and temptation and the like in such compassion, it cannot be a means to self-purification.
६. क्वचिदियं प्रसंगजापि ।
क्वचिदात्मरक्षायां प्रासंगिककार्यरूपेण देशतः सर्वतो वा प्राणरक्षापि भवत्येव । यद् यस्य प्रासंगिकं नहि तत्तद्वस्तुस्वरूपानुप्रवेशीति प्रसंगजप्राणरक्षया नहि आत्मरक्षाया आत्मसाधकत्वं विभावनीयम्, एवं सति क्वचित् प्रसंगजहिंसया तस्याः सदोषत्वमपि भवेत् । विवेचनीयात्र भिक्षुस्वामिप्रदर्शिता दृष्टान्तत्रयी ।
6. kvacid iyam prasangajāpi.
kvacid atma-rakṣāyāṁ prasangikakaryarūpeṇa deśataḥ sarvato vā prāṇarakṣāpi bhavaty eva. yad yasya prasangikam, nahi tat tadvastu-svarūpānupraveśīti prasangaja-prāṇa-rakṣaya nahi
ātma
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