Jains Through Time

Author(s): Shilapi Sadhvi
Publisher: Veerayatan

Page 76

The Jains through Time
77
a king; one will see the perfect mirror image My aim in writing about Kumarpal is to of the king in his people. It is obvious from show that he is not a figment of my this assertion that the subjects of Kumarpal imagination - he is the perfect embodiment must have emulated the virtues of their of my image of a great king; all the qualities king.
of an ideal Jain king come alive in him. In
the opinion of Colonel Todd, Kumarpal A very special place is reserved in my hall of held the precepts of Jainism in high esteem fame for Raja Kumarpal who, before and followed them with total devotion and becoming an ambassador for Jainism, took made Gujarat an ideal Jain state." the twelve vows of a shravak. He desisted from sacrificing animals, waging war, or Offering an Entire Kingdom as perpetrating violence of any kind; he Gurudakshina banned gambling and the drinking of As I have said before, Gujarat is a place alcohol, ended capital punishment, which glows with the conscientiousness of defended the weak, protected the honour of its Jain aspirants; it is the stronghold of many women and thus followed the Tirthankars' Jain royal families, a fabulous gold mine teachings in a truly practical manner. He iridescent with Jain personalities. In fact it established twenty one gyan bhandars or seems as if the wonders of Gujrat are neverlibraries to nurture and promote literature ending. Vanraj Chavada's son Vimalmantri and arranged for the copying of the Jain built the spectacular Vimalvasahi Temple on Agamas, the Yoga-Shastras of Hemchandra, the summit of Mt. Abu. He inherited the and many other literary works. All these tradition of giving large donations to events are sharply etched in my memory religious causes from his father. It is worth and I present them here so that you too may knowing that Vanraj Chavada had offered up share my overflowing delight in this his entire kingdom as gurudakshina, in a exceptional king.
humble gesture of devotion to his guru, Jain Acharya Sheelgunasuriji. However, because
Pin-Gaura-Smiliyan, Shri Manmal Jain Martand, p.339