Jain Journal 1983 04

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 13

APRIL, 1983
117
I cite this because it seems the Jina is implored to grant salvation. Moreover, the verse comes perilously close to falling into the category of reciprocal devotionalism. There are probably ways of underst the verse which avoid this and the distinction between vyavahāra and niscaya is perhaps crucial here. But then the question arises : Is every Jaina aware of the fine distinctions involved ? Is the Jaina aware of these when he recites the following lines in the abhişeka ritual, published in the Jain Gazette of January 1932 :
hai nij prayojana siddhi ki tum năm hl men fakti hai.
Your name alone has the power to accomplish my goal.
One may conclude this point by exclaiming : social anthropologists, where are you when we need you ? Some kind of a field study seems to be called for to survey actual attitudes.
Fourth Point
It is usually argued that the Jains, although they worship goddesses, specially Sarasvati and Laksmi, do not seek salvation through such worship. Dr. Niranjan Ghosh, however, has drawn attention to Manuscript No. 2059 at Jain Bhawan, Calcutta, which he regards as a Jaina manuscript as is clear from the context, in his book Concept and Iconography of the Goddess of Abundance and Fortune in Three Religions of India. The manuscript is entitled Lakşmistotra and contains the following verse (p. 148) :
saṁsārārņava-navkā tvam samsārarnävatarint samsārāduhkasamant (samsāraphalavardhint)
The verse is addressed to Laksmi and says : You are the boat, you are the one who ferries one across the ocean of samsāra. You are the destroyer of the sorrows of samsāra and you (also) augment the fruits of samsāra.
A close examination of the verse as printed suggests the constant substitution of B for V and the conflation of the sibilants and the nasals. Does this indicate that here we have a sample of popular Jainism ? Laksmi is being looked upon as conferring salvation and by a person or a group of persons who were probably not soundly educated ? Moreover, the first line can be interpreted as seeking salvation from saṁsāra ; the second as seeking help from Laksmi within the realm of saṁsāra. If this interpretation is correct it provides another twist to the situation.