Jaina Corpus of Koppala Inscriptions X rayed

Author(s): Nagarajaiah Hampa
Publisher: Ankita Pustak

Page 40

Theme and aim of the epigraphs /21
maintained the spirit and the existence of Jaina church at Koppala. The frairs and nuns were active, in propogating the tenets of the faith, is evident from the fact that a majority of the mortifications were done at the instance of the religious preceptors. Idol worship was firmly established among Jains, as far back as second cent. B.C.
In Koppaļa Jaina ascetics encouraged the laity to cause images and temples of Jina. Preaching the misery stricken world, the way of salvation and eternal happiness, Jaina seers walked barefooted, from one end to the other. A missionary zeal was very much vibrant in the Kopaņa-tirtha. Very many laics embraced the life of renunication, by giving up everything that was dear to them, with a spontaneous impulse of seclusion from the rest of the society. A rigorous and restrained life helps the lay person to lead a life of self-help and of least dependence on society. Some even went to the extent of mortification of the body, a flight from the world in persuit of a higher spiritual ideal, to reach the state of summum bonum, the chief good.
Nirvāņa (nibbāņa - 'extinction') is a pure, stable and holy state of enlightenment, contentment and peace. Therefore, prescription for attainment of the original pure nature of the soul (Pk. attā. SK. ātma) is the dissipation (niriara) of passions (kasăva) and stoppage (samvara) of the influx of kārmic (äsrava) atoms or particles (pudgala). This philosophy is illustrated with a classic example of [Nāyādhamma Kahāo. 6], a dry gourd covered with mud, shooting up gradually to the surface of water, due to loosening of mud-coating, the kārmic bondage. Therefore, the purity is to be achieved by right faith (samyak darśana), Ro-knowledge (50-jñāna) and Ro-conduct (So-cāritra). The Jaina canonical texts go eloquent in describing the outcome of the triad, mokṣa.
Mokşa is described as without decay (ajara), without death (amara), permanent (akşaya), of incomparable happiness (anupama sukha) [Mūlācāra: 12, 145], holy (Sivam), stable (acala), eternal (ananta), devoid of misery (avyābādha) and from which there is no return (Aupapātika: p.46]. Christianity explains that moksa is the grace of God, and there is no stress on rebirth: death is a punishment and not a step towards better or worse life; death takes one either to hell or heaven permanently, in Christi