Jaina Gazette 1936 02

Author(s): Ajitprasad, C S Mallinath
Publisher: Jaina Gazettee Office

Page 6

38
THE JAINA GAZETTE
aright, the mere name is of little consequence. Call it Shiva, Alljoy, Ever.happy, Bliss.eternal; call it the maker, the Brahma, the master of Destiny, the architect of fate, the weaver of all thoughts, the source of all good and evil; call it Vishnu, the All-pervading, the All-knowing, who is present everywhere, who sees all, who feels all, who knows all, who is everywhere, in direct, immediate contact with all that is; or call it Buildha the Enlightened, the Illuminated, Self-illumined and illuminating others.
A Jina is also called an Arhat. It is an Omniscient. Sublimated, Pure, Perfect Soul. But is yet embodied, enveloped in a physical body: still gross in form, though in respect of physical purity and perfection, it is very fine indeed. It is not subject to the needs of a physical body. It has no hunger, no thirst, no sweat, no sleep, no infirmity, no birth, no death, no fear, no sorrow, no delusion, no distress, no indulgence, no anxiety, no astonishment, no attraction, no repulsion. The eyes wink not, the lips move not, and yet at times there is a sound of Thunder, which Utters the Truih,the reality of all that exists, in a letterless language which is understood by all living and thinking beings, human, sub-human and super. human. The legs bend not, and yet the body moves onwards, without treading the ground. These are its physical aspects.
To such a Soul obeisance is made, worship is offered in the above verse. There is no idolatry, no worship of a physical form, no worship by name even. The worship is of the Attribute, the Perfection. And worship means a keen, a sirong, a conquering attempt, an irresistible effort to attain the Ideal, above set forth.
Ajit Prasada.