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Bhaktimārga and Jainism
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Impact of the element of devotion, is, no doubt, obvious in this stanza, but the poet is not in two minds as regards the final goal. Similarly, the statements such as these, namely, “the devotee calls himself the servant of God", "the devotee seeks the shelter of God", "the devotd begs for God's mercy" - are no doubt ihose belonging to the cult of devotion which is after all and above all, a means and not an aim. The Jaina Ācāryas have not lost sight of this main fact. See:
"त्रिभुवनगुरो जिनेश्वर परमानन्दैककारण कुरुष्व । मयि किंकरेऽत्र करुणा यथा तथा जायते मुक्तिः ।। "त्वं कारुणिकः स्वामी त्वमेव शरणं जिनेश"
(जिनवाणीसंग्रह, पृ० १०९.) "जगदेकशरण भगवन् नौमि श्रीपद्मनंदितगुणौध । कि बहुना कुरु करुणामत्र जने शरणमापन्ने ॥"
(जिनवाणीसंग्रह, पृ० २२०.) of course, the Jaina Acāryas, like the Vaisnavite Acaryas, have, indeed, given importance to the item of devotion. See the following examples:
जन्म जरा मिथ्यामत मूल जन्ममरण लागे तँह फूल । सो कबहुँ बिन भक्तिकुठार, कटे नहीं दुःख फलदातार ॥
(जिनवाणीसंग्रह, पृ० २६२) 'यह संसार अपार महासागर जिनस्वामी । ता ते तारे बड़ी भक्तिनौका जगनामी ॥"
(जिनवाणीसंग्रह, पृ० ९१) "तुम भक्तिनवका जे चढ़े ते भये भवदधि पार ही ।"
__ (जिनवाणीसंग्रह, पृ० ४) Some Jaina Acāryas have prayed to be endowed with devotional fervour in order to achieve emancipation. Just as :
"अब होउ भव भव स्वामी मेरे मैं सदा सेवक रहों। कर जोड़ यों वरदान मांगू मोक्ष फल जावत लहों ॥''
(जिनबाणीसंग्रह, पृ० १२२; १२५) But, really speaking, it is the general, good character only, and not the devotion or worship, which is important, according to Jainism. Therefore, it is the good character which ought to have been saught after instead of devotion or worship. Few Jaina Ācāryas have clearly said :
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