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10th Biennial JAINA Convention
A VERSION OF SHRIMAD RAJCJANDRA'S GREAT POEM "APOORVA AVASAR"
By: Nishant Shah, Brookfield, CT
(Background: Shrimad was born in 1867 and died in 1901. He was a born genius and poet. In his 34 years of life, he accomplished more things than can be named and did more than most people do in several lifetimes. Since early childhood, his dream was to reach Moksha. It was out of this desire that he wrote the poem Apoorva Avsar, a sort of roadmap showing the characteristics of 14 major milestones, or Guna-sthanakas, in the path of spiritual progress. Many scholars, including Gandhiji, admired his poem greatly, and saw that it reflected Shrimad's own spiritual progress. The poem can be divided into two parts. The first 12 stanzas express Shrimad Rajchandraji's desire to become a person without any attachments, and he describes this kind of person. The 13th through 21" stanzas describe the remaining milestones on the path to Moksha. What follows is my effort at translating this great poem into English. As in the actual poem, it shows the steps one should take in order to reach salvation).
Eliminate desires to begin the path to Moksha. Detach from feelings and the physical self. Realize that the soul is pure consciousness, separate from body.
Let nothing disturb inner equilibrium. Concentrate on self-control, and be absorbed by your true self. Do not be influenced by external objects or undesirable behavior.
Be vigilant against Anger, Pride, Deception, and Greed. Maintain the attitude of detachment at any cost. As a muni, all emotions should be conquered now.
Be like the muni, treating all equally and being internally balanced. Seek severe penance of the body and consider all as friends. Seek severe penance of the mind and be totally unperturbed.
After conquering karma, start on the ladder of Karma destruction. Cross the ocean of delusion and reach complete detachment. Now the four types of karmas are destroyed. Be just a knower and observer.
Complete the karmas of life span, identity, physique, and pain and pleasure with death. Now the soul is at the stage of eternal happiness, free from all bondage. The cycle of birth and death is broken forever.
The soul reaches the liberated souls from the momentum of past spiritual experience. The stage of eternal bliss is indescribable with words. I aspire to reach such a state, and the teachings of the Tirthankars will take me there.
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Jain Education Interational 2010_03
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