Jain Journal 1995 10

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

Page 26

GOVARDHANADASA: MAHATMA GANDHI AND KAVI RAJACANDRA
is not at all appealable, then how such great personages as Rāma and Kṛṣṇa can be taken as parts of God? Though there is no harm in accepting that both of these great personages were God in embryo, yet it is to be considered whether perfect glory of Godhood had bloomed in them or not.
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2. The answer to your second part of question is very easy and you already know that Mokṣa means the spiritual state of freedom from all kinds of attachment, aversion and ignorance etc. So by whosesoever teachings this pure state of freedom be attainable, his worship, of course, is most fruitful, because by devotion to him the devotee will necessarily contemplate upon the glorious and blissful state of the adored, and will acquire faith in the similar ultimate state of himself and by practice will mould himself in the same set of life as that of the worshipful. Thus it will be possible for the devotee to attain Mokṣa as a result of his devotion to the worshipful. Except this no other forms of worship are advisable for the attainment of Mokṣa. Other forms may prove helpful to attract him to the true path, but it is not a certainty.
25. TRINITY
9.
-Who are Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Maheśvara?
A. It is possible that these terms might be representatives of the three fundamental functions of the Universe, viz. creation (Brahma), disruption (Maheśvara) and maintenance (Viṣņu): If so their personification as deities is well and good; or they might be allegorical names of some other trinity of aspects, [such as the three aspects of the primeval Lord Vṛṣabha: first as Visnuthe great ruler who laid down foundation of state and society, secondly, as Mahesvara the mahāyogi who destroyed the worlds of birth, death and old age; thirdly, as Brahma, the omniscient sage who gave the knowledge of great truth of the eternal drama of life. Taken in this way the idea becomes intelligible, but] the accounts as given in the Puranas do not at all appeal to me. My interpretation finds support from this fact also that there are many great truths which have been described in the Purāņas in allegorial forms for teaching by lessons. We should also try to derive benefit from the lessons of this allegory without entering into controverial matters about Brahma etc. To me this allegorical interpretation looks very nice.