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४४० / जैनपरम्परा और यापनीयसंघ / खण्ड १
अ०५ / विस्तृत सन्दर्भ 2. ferent alast quart stealfat haidat refifader in "The thrice-bent bull goes on roaring - The Great God has completely entered the mortals.”
3. 45: upreferufa:1 “Rudra is the lord of creatures.”
In the light of the above interpretation of the Mohenjo-Daro seal from Rig Veda it should be easy to identify the statuette under description by a reference to the Rig Veda. While leading an Archaeological Expedition to Afghanistan in the months of May, June and July, the writer of this article had occasions to verify the records of Yuan Chwang (600-654 A.D.), whose itinerary in Afghanistan and elsewhere is a factual record of variety and scientific and human interest. His description of Hosin-Ghazni or Ghazna, Hazara or Hosala is of great significance. He says, “There are many Tīrthaka heretics here, who worship the Ksuna Deva.” “Those who invoke him with faith obtain their wishes. People both far off and near show for him deep reverence. High and low alike are filled with religious awe of him-- The Tīrthakas by subduing their minds and mortifying flesh get from the spirits of heaven sacred formulae, with which they control diseases and recover the sick.” Ksuna Deva (Suna or Siśna deva) was probably Tīrthakara or Tīrthankara or their follower that illumined the pantheon of Jainism, which is famous for its gospel of Ahiṁsā. The record of Yuan Chwang bears testimony to the spread of Jainism even in Afghanistan. In the life account of the Buddha we read that among the opponents of the Buddha stood foremost 6 chiefs or Tinthakas-Pürana Kassapa, Ajitkes, Gosala, Kuccāyana, Nigantha Nāthaputta and Sañjaya. We can recognize in Gosāla the Gosāla of Ājīvika faith and in Nigantha Nāthaputta the last and 24th Jaina Tīrthankara Mahāvīra. Thus Yuan Chwang's description of the god as Ksuna Deva indicates that he is referring probably to the naked Jaina Tīrthankara, the term Tīrthakas also standing for Tirthakaras or Tīrthankaras. The advent of Jainism in Afghanistan is indeed a revelation.
The term Ksuna Deva may probably stand for the term Suna or Siśna deva. While going back to the Rig Veda we find that the Rig Veda refers to naked Gods as Siśna Devas in two hymns which invoke Indra for protection of Vedic sacrifices from the naked Gods (Siśna-Devas) :
1. न यातव इन्द्र जूजुवु! न वन्दना शविष्ठ वेद्याभिः।
#grauit fagurt vialaf forgacar sifa Leteci 7:11 VII-21-5
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