Jains Through Time

Author(s): Shilapi Sadhvi
Publisher: Veerayatan

Page 34

The Jains through Time
had the roof and upper part of the front wall When I contemplate the splendour of of this temple covered with inscriptions in Kharvel's achievements, I wonder how this Ardhamagadhi and Apabhramsh (the Jain man, who had taken the twelve vows of a dialect of Prakrit). The inscriptions are in 17 shravak (layman), focused such lines and cover an area of 84 square feet and concentration on his spiritual purification are written in Brahmi script. These rock and performed his duties as a king so inscriptions are embellished with many magnificently, could still manage to inspire auspicious Jain symbols like the swastika, the and organise the making of such nandavartta and the ashoka-vriksha, and begin incomparable rock inscriptions and other with the devotional prayers to the Arhats artefacts, which are still intact and have (omniscients) and the Siddhas (liberated come down to us through the ages in their souls)"
timeless forms. I think it was his love for the
teachings of Jainism that enabled him to I want to bring to the notice of chroniclers envisage and create the extraordinary in his that Emperor Kharvel was descended from life. And by so doing he contributed greatly the great line of Maharaja Chetak, the leader to the flowering of Indian culture. of the Vaishali Republic. The name Kharvel occurs in the royal annals of Chetak's son Ahimsa is the life-breath of Jainism - its Shobhanrai. It is due to Kharvel's influence heart and soul. It is the backbone of the that Jainism became the national religion of entire body of the religion. It would not be Kaling and maintained its position as such an exaggeration if I said that Jainism was for centuries. Along with building new Jain born out of ahimsa - non-violence towards temples, and restoring the old ones, Kharvel all living things. But sometimes the pursued a policy of according equal sentiments of non-violence and compassion treatment to all religions, which singled him are mistaken for cowardice. Many historians out as an enlightened ruler.
have blamed the Jains for India's enslavement and downfall', saying that it is
Pramukh Alilasik Join Purush Aur Multilayen, Dr. Jyoti Prasad Jain. p.54