________________
No. III]
KNOWLEDGE & CONDUCT IN JAINA SCRIPTURES
knowing the way (cannot reach the desired destination ) if there be no wind to lead it in the desired direction. It is said :
जह छेयलद्धनिजामोऽवि वाणिय गइच्छिय भूमि । वारण विणा पोषो न चएड् महण्णवं तरि । तह नाण लद्धनिजामओऽवि सिद्धिवसहि न पाउणइ ।
निउणोऽवि जीवपोओ तवसजममारुयविहीणो । As a boat which possesses a clever helmsman cannot reach the land desired by merchants by crossing the great sea without (favourable) wind, so (the boat of ) the jiva who possesses (the clever helmsman of) śruta-jñāna cannot reach the desired land (Faisवसति ) by crossing the ocean (of भव) without the help (wind) of संयमतपोनियम, self-restraint, austerities and observances. Therefore one should practise self-restraint and austerities without heedlessness (प्रमाद).
संसार-सागराओ उच्चुड्ढो मा पुण निबुड्डेजा ।
चरणगुण विप्पहीणो, बुड्ढा सुबहुंपि जानंतो ॥ Having once emerged out of the ocean of samsāra, do not again merge into it. One who is completely devoid of the qualities of caraṇaḥ sinks again, although he knows much.
Here an example is given of a turtle () who with much difficulty emerges out of a great lake rendered dark by the intricate tangle of moss, grass and leaves, who looks upon the full moon, but attracted by the ties of affection for relations, plunges back into the lake. He is the symbol of ignorance. Why should a knower plunge back? Because even vast knowledge is of no avail to the knower who is totally devoid of caranam, for his knowledge, empty as it is of fruit, is but no-knowledge.
सुवहुपि सुयमहीयं किं काहे चरणविप्पहीणस्स ?
अंधस्स जह पलिता देवसयसहस्सकोडीवि ।। What can immense knowledge of the scriptures do to one who is devoid of caraṇam ? Of what avail are crores of hundreds
Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat
www.umaragyanbhandar.com
