Book Title: Jainism Some Essays
Author(s): A S Gopani
Publisher: Prakrit Bharti Academy

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Page 8
________________ Jain Religion There are two forms of Jain religion : One noumcnal and the other, phenomenal. When thinking about it, one has to take into consideration both these aspects. Moreover, it is the characteristic of all the Indian religions that each of them has its own philosophical system. Religion is a thing to be practised but underlying it there are some ideologies which are collectively called philosophy. Therefore, when we think about Jain religion, the thought about its philo-ophy is also automatically included. 1. ŚRAMANA AND BRAHMANA Indra's victory Jain religion is the religion of the Jinas, meaning thereby that it is the religion of the conquerors. In ancient times, Indra was worshipped because he was the conqueror. But Jina as a conqueror and Indra as a conqueror are two widely different things. Indra, in his own times destroyed all his enemics and thus acquired the designation of a conqueror, became the leader of the Āryas and also the object of worship. This victory was merely extrinsic, the physical victory. Wha he obtained from such a victory was material prosperity. He set a great store by it and his dignity was merely due to it. This is not a new thing. From time immemorial, man was a worshipper of Sakti, the energy. But when one nation scored a victory over the other, Indra as its conqueror assumed peculiar significance and the civilization that developed due to this in India came to be known as the civilization of the sacrifice. Martial spirit and physical strength lay at the root of the development of this civilization. This later on became known as the Brāhmana civilization when the intellectual element had the upper hand. When Arvans were advancing in Bhāratavarşa attaining victory of this type, the urban civilization had well progressed in Bhäratavaisa. It can be easily understood that the citizens who had settled down would possess physical strength less and intellectual energy more in comparison to the wandering Aryans who had more of bodily vigour and virility, Intellectual strength could not resist physical strength and Indra achieved victory destroying many cities and towns He, in this manner, got a win and the urban civilization thus came to a stop. We get references pointing to a conclusion that many a sage and saint were done to death. In Mohan-Jo-Daro and Harappa we come across many idols in which the Jain Education International For Private & Personal Use Only www.jainelibrary.org

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