Jainism Some Essays

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

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Jainism
किं बहुणा भणिएणं नन्न मग्गेमि देसु चारित्त । जेण भणिज्जइ सव्वे पया पविट्ठा उ हत्थिपए ।"
(Hafata FIE, CO 58)
Tradition of describing the physical beauty of God, the importance of reciting the name of God, the erotic description of emancipation as if it were a damsel, narration of Tirthankara as an incarnation and also of his grace, inclusion of Naivedya in a variety of forms of God's worship, the statement that one can obtain emancipation by simple recitation of God's neme - all these factors found in the Jaina panegyries besides the fundamental principles of the cult of devotion mentioned before illustrate the impact that has fallen on the Jaina panegyries.
The secret of devotion according to Jainism.
The Jaina concept of devotion and piety has been elaborated thus according to Rşbhajinastotra hy Ā ārya Devacandra. - Ācārya Devacandra is of the cpinion that the element of affection lies 'eeply buried in human nature. So long as the object of affection is worldly, the soul's up-lift is not possible. Therefore, he who wants to put his son on the highest pedestal of progress, he should change his object of love. If Vilarāga becomes the object of his love, devotion has a role to play here. But the question of all questions is as regards the possibility of attachneni between a being and a bitarāga, because Vitalāga has become Siddha and therefore, pure (Suddha), while a being belongs to the world and therefore, impure. A union between Vitarāga and Jiva (Being) is not possible from the point of view of a Substance, Place, Time and Mood. By sending a message also, this cannot be achieved. One who goes to Him Carrying the message becomes identified with Him so that there is no possibility of his returning to hand over the reply to the message. The other difficulty is that love or attachment is never a one-way traffic It is a twoway business. He who wants to show attachment is called 'attached” and He to whom attachment is shown is "detached”. The 'attached' can show his attachment in any way he likes; but what about the detached''? Thus it is bound to be one-way. The attachment shown by people in the world is a two-way business. There are two oljects, namely he who loves and he who is loved. The former is worldly and the latter, extra-mundane. The love of the former for the latter assumes, in course of time extraordinary character. There is another reason also of this extra-ordinariness. The nature of love is the main thing. One's love for the worldly things is tingcd with unholiness. It enlarges the cycle of births. The love for the detached" is such as cuts down the recurrence of births. By adopting a devotional attitude to God,