Jainism Some Essays

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

Page 94

Bhaktimarga and Jainism
[ 87 the devotee does not beg for any of the virtues or properties of God, but he wants thereby to bring out in full form those very virtues which are latent in him. Due to strangeness of this type the problem that faces Devacandraji, the author, is as regurds the manner and method of forming such a love with God.
Devacandraji himself answers this question by saying that if an affection for external things is withdrawn, it becomes automatically possible to show the same degree and amount of it to Vitaraga - the "detached". In other words, both-the devotee and the Vitaraga-become equal, the quality of detachment being common to both. Thus the devotee becomes God himself by making God, the object of his exclusive love as is confirmed in the following line :--
"प्रभुजीने अवलंबतां निजप्रभुता हो प्रगटे गुणरास"
Thus the interpretation of the love or devotion to God is only this that one should put into practice what has been preached by Tirthankara. In others words, one must fully carry out all the "dos" and "donts" set down by Tirthankara. This is, in brief, devotion. The word Я (Ajñā) which is used in this connection does not mean "order". It means that particular set of rules by observing which Tithankara who was an ordinary man before has reached the status of Tirthankara finally and by putting into acion that very formulary the other people also attain the same position.
The spiritualist, Devacandraji, has shown by this example how an aim is attained through devotion. He has proclaimed at the top of his voice that God does not do anything special for his devotee but just as a lion amongst goats seeing another lion comes to know that he himself is a lion, similary a devotee amongst other people comes to know that he himself is God, seeing another God in his mind whom he is worshipping. Read the following stanza : -
"अजकुलगत केसरी लहे रे निज पद सिंह निहाल ।
तिम प्रभुभक्त भवि लहें रे प्रातमशक्ति संभाल || "
If, as said earlier, God himself cannot also give anything, what explanation can there be of the request made to Him to uplift him and also to give emancipation finally? Shri Devacandraji tries to remove this doubt also as follows.
All the deeds are produced by the doer with the help of the material that is at hand. For the result or the effect called emancipation, soul itself is the doer and Arihantas are the instrumental cause. Even if this instrumental