Jain Thought and Culture

Author(s): G C Pandey
Publisher: University of Rajasthan

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Jain Thought and Culture
the empire The far mans recording these concessions were issued in the name of Hira Vijaya Suri The Adinath temple inscription dated 1593 AD of Satrunjaya hill records that under Hira Vijaya Suri's influence Akbar forbade slaughter of animals for six months, abolished the practice of consficating the property of the deceased, released prisoners, captiye birds and animals, and abolished "Sujijia tax and Sulka" 14
As mentioned earlier, Hira Vijaya and his disciples belonged to the Tapa Gachchha sect In 1591 Akbar sent an invitation to the head of the Kharatara Gachchhha, Jin Chandra Suri, a widely travelled Jain saint whose reputation for learning, piety, and saintliness had spread throughout the country When he reached Lahor, accompanied by thirty-one monks and many lay followers, he was given a grand reception by the Jain community of Lahor When Jin Chandra came to meet the Emperor, the latter took him to the inner apartments of the palace and listened to his discourse on Atman, ahimsa etc The Jain acharya stayed at the court for a year At his desire, the Emperor forbade killing of animals for seven days throughout the empire, from Asadha Sudi 9 to Ashadha Sudi 15, restored the metal images which a Mughal officer had seized at Sirohi, and also issued a farman to the Governor of Gujarat to ensure safety of the Jain temples in the province On February 23, 1593, Akbar honoured the Jain acharya with the title of Yuga Pradhan 15
The third Jain mission was led by Vijaya Sen Suri, the ablest disciple of Hira Vijaya Suri of the Tapa Gachchha It is said that the success of and honourable reception accorded to Jin Chandra of the Kharatara Gachchha caused some heart burning to the Tapa Gachchhas and hence a mission was sent in 1593 Vijaya Sen Suri, accompanied by a huhdred monks, reached Ludhiana where they were received by the Poet Faizi and the Jains of Lahor Then, at the head on grand procession, they entered Lahor on May 31, 1953 Vijaya Sen, aged 45 years, was endowed with much dignity and maturity and he created a most favourable impression upon the Emperor by his learning and character The Emperor conferred upon him the title of
14 Bhanu Chandra Charitra (ed MD, Desal), Commissariat, History of Gujarai, II 232-35, AL Srivastava, Akbar the Great, I, 363-63 15 Yuga pradhana unachandrasur, pp 121-27. PIHC, 1939, II, pp 1065-68, Karam Chand Vansa Prabandha, Autahasik Jainakadya Sangraha, Kharataragachchha Brihad gurravalt