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CONTRIBUTIONS TO LITERATURE,' Èfc. Sallékhana or death by starvation. “The fruit of Dharma,"it says, " is to distroy birth, disease, old-age and death.
" Like the melted and purified gold which is free from all dirt and foreign substances, the liberated soul shines, being freed from all attachments."
“ Unlimited happiness, unlimited knowledge, unlimited power and unlimited perception are found in a person who has conquered the karmas.
“ The disease of karma is distroyed when Lust, Anger, and Delusion are destroyed.
“The Casket of Gems, shows the Mókșa-marga ( Path to Salvation ) to those who do not know it before.
“ The undestroyed karmas can be destroyed; the status of Siddha-hood can be attained. Therefore look ye into the Casket of Gems".
It relates the various vrtas or vows to be undertaken, and describes eleven stages in the layman's path of spiritual progress. “As the effect of giving dāna," it says, "one enjoys prosperity and happiness till he frees himself from this Sāmsära. The giving of food to homeless ascetics causes the removal of the sins incidental to a house-holder's life."??
Besides the Ratnakarandaka and Aptamimāmsā, Samantabhadra wrote several other minor works like the Jina-satakālamkara or Jina-stuti-śataka and Svayambhū-stotra and others.28 These are characterised by a deep devotion which was a strong trait in the character of Samantabhadra. The following lines from his Jinastuti-śataka will serve as a sample :
सुश्रद्धा मम ते मते स्मतिरपि त्वय्यर्चनं चापिते इस्तावेजलये कथाश्रुतिरतः कर्णोऽधि संप्रेक्षते । सुस्तुत्यां ध्यसनं शिरोनतिपरं सेवेशी येन ते तेजस्वी मुजनोऽहमेव सुकृती तेनैव तेजःपते ॥
27 Mallināth, Casket of Gems, (trans. from Tamil), The Jaina Gasette,
XX, pp. 61, 97 and 118-19. 28 Hiralal, op. cit., op. cit.; p. , Of. Rice, Mysore and Coorg 1, p. 399. 29 M.D.J.G. XXIV, Iatrod., p. 65.
