Jainism Some Essays

Author(s): A S Gopani
Publisher: Prakrit Bharti Academy

Page 58

Hindu Religion and Jaina Religion
[ 51 is the massage of the Gita that has become the core of the Hindu religionAnd on account of this, there is social stability instead of disorder or instability. There can be no scope for the distinction of the high and the low in a staunch follower of Hindu religion, if at all he intends to base his conduct on the message of the Gita. And we just now saw above that the low community and caste has produced saints of a high order, who have been respected as equally as the Brahmin saints. This is because of the impact of Hindu religion the roots of which lie in the Gita. From the Vedic times till today, all the various gds who were given places in the Hindu religious system were identified with Kṛṣṇa and all the saints were considered as the incranations of Krsna and therefore they all claimed equal respect as Kṛṣṇa. This concept got currency because of the Gita and therefore, religious differences due to different duties could not get any accommodation. Hindu religion has adopted a generous attitude which is evidenced in the fact that any worship, offered anywhere and in any manner goes to Krsna, that is to say, is the worship of Krsna himself. Moreover, whatever action may be done, it is in the form of and as a part of devotion to God. This being the lesson conveyed by the Gita, all the actions, more or less become divine and therefore, the idea of noble or ignoble from the actions will disappear-you may do anything you like, it is worship to God. Such a dignified thought became the kernal of Hindu religion. This completely removed the gulf of antagonism that divided various sects of Hindu religion. Such an exalted ideology spread that every one worshipped God in his own way and according to his own fitness. There was, therefore, no reason for quarrel under the pretext that God had various names and forms and should be worshipped in any of those forms and names. Thus the contribution of the Gita in bestowing the universal character on the Hindu religion is, indeed, extraordinary.
Having so far thought about Hindu religion, let us now turn to
Jaina Religion
There is no scope for any difference of thought and interpretation in Jaina literature it being one of unambiguous nature. Therefore. the basis of the various sects of Jainism is not ideological but ethical. Ideological uniformity or continuity is consistently maintained throughout as testified by the available literature. Having compared some of the matters of Jaina religion with those of the Hindu religion, we shall consider about Jainism, that is to say, about its literature, pontiffs and preceptors, :deology, ethical codes and sects.
Jainism.
No religion comes into existence, all of a sudden; nor does it assume organized form in a moment. It does not matter that it may be linked up