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Jainism: The Cosmic Vision
and Dhaniyal, too, offered obesance to the Acharya. In the palace were laid royal carpets, but Suriji refused to walk on it and this surprised Akbar to no end. The muni explained that Jainism prohibited walking on covered flooring, lest insects or ants beneath get killed. Akbar got the carpet removed and found countless ants and insects under it. Akbar learnt that the Acharya had walked the long distance and to compensate for the labour, he offered him gold and silver. The muni refused to take anything, but demanded that if at all the emperor wanted to give something, he should release the imprisoned birds and animals, prevent killing of fish in the Dabor lake, to prohibit killing of any type during Paryushan and to set free the prisoners languishing in jails for years. Akbar accepted all his demands and instead of eight days of Paryushan, he prohibited killing of animals for 12 days in Gujarat, Malva, Ajmer, Delhi, Fatehpur, Lahore and Multan and also in pilgrim centres in and around Girnar, Taranga, Shatrunjay, Kesariyaji, Abu, Rajgrihi and Sametshikhar. He was so impressed by the Acharya's concern for human welfare that he conferred the title of Jagadguru (world teacher) on him.
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Hemchandracharya, a Jain Acharya who is known as kalikalsarvagna - one who is omniscient - occupies a place of pride in the spiritual history of India. King Kumarpal, inspired by his guru, performed many a deeds for which he is justly remembered. In Vikram Samvat 1199, at the age of fifty, he was crowned the king of Gujarat. Inspired by Hemchandracharya, he issued a proclamation first of its kind - in favour of nonviolence. He declared: "Many people live by the sword and kill each other. It's an affront to the king. Lying is evil, extra
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