Jinamanjari 2001 04 No 23

Author(s): Jinamanjari
Publisher: Canada Bramhi Jain Society Publication

Page 62

remembered all what I once saw or read but I did not care for fame. My mind was filled with love and straightforward affection."12 The teaching of saintly persons is to be believed and followed. Only then can one realise one's self or ātmā. What does a true guru or preceptor say? If a person realises that all selves are equal, then that person will not be attached to love and hate. Every person who realises his own self will easily recognise similar selves in all living beings. Then there will not remain any love or hate, attachment or aversion.
Srimad advises all readers to keep this saying engraved on their heart so that it can never be forgotten or lost. According to Srimad, one should believe the sayings of a self-realised preceptor only. The whole poem reflects Srimad's attitude towards life and all that surrounds it. He is indifferent to feelings of pain and pleasure, indifferent to worldly gains and losses and behaves with equanimity towards all. This is his total renunciation. Renouncing the ego was not enough for śrīmad, he went further than that and abandoned all interest in the material world. He did work as a jeweller, but managed to maintain his spirituality. His indifference can best be compared to a lotus flower which grows in and is surrounded by muddy water but remains unstained and clean.
Srimad's early thinking and his interpretation of Jain philosophy is explained in a concise manner in this poem. Śrīmad's writings have gained more popularity in recent years and the number of his followers are increasing. It is true to say that most of his followers are Gujarāti speaking people, because Srimad's writings and indeed the poem Amulya Tattva Vicăra is also written in the Gujarāti language. This is perhaps one reason why Śrīmad Rājacandra is more famous amongst Gujarātī speaking people. However, it is fair to say that his style of explaining the philosphy of ātmā, samsāra and karma in a form of verse which can be sung in any congregation is the reason behind the popularity of such poems. This poem is usually sung in a melodious way, which itself helps to create a certain 'religious' atmosphere. Most ordinary people who do not understand the high language of śrīmad's writings, are attracted to his poems such as the Amulya Tattva Vicāra and the
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