Jinamanjari 2002 04 No 25

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

Page 68

Jinamastjari, Volume 25, No.1, April 2002
BOOK REVIEWS
Reviewed by Siri P. Kumar
SVAYAMBHU STOTRA: THE PATH TO ENLIGHTENMENT. By Ācārya Samantabhadra. English Translation by Devendra K Goyal.Radiant Publishers, E-155 Kalkaji, New Delhi 110019. PP. Foreword Ix-xl, Introd.1-26, text 27-210. ISBN 81-7027-229-7. Price Rs.400.00 or $30.00.
Acārya Samantabhadra, who has been considered as the first Jain Sanskritist and logician, was a great Jain saint belonging to Tamilnadu in the South. The Svayambhu Stotra is one of his great works, which eulogizes the twenty-four Jinas In fact the word svayambhu in the Jaina technical terminology stands for 'selfbecome' which means that the individual self has become paramātaman, the Universal One. He is the Jina or Tirthankara.
The work in conformity with the Jaināgama deals with three aspects, devotion, knowledge and karma (p.3). But interestingly, on close examination, the eulogy to the individual Jina brings out socio-anthropological, embryonic stages of Jaina philosophical doctrines and politico-social aspects of the respective periods. Accordingly, Rşabha (verse.2) Jina was responsible for the initiation of people into learning six vocations and thereby set the rule of law, and after his enlightenment, he was said to have enunciated the theory of life-force - living that which could possibly attain mokṣa and nonliving beings, and the embryonic concept of partial or one sided views (verses.5-6). During the time of Ajita Jina, the concept of plurality (anekānta) appears to have come into use (v.7) Sumati Jina was said to have established the method of analyzing the true nature of a substance (v.25). Supārsva Jina had postulated that "the body though [is] made of tangible materials, by itself [it] is inert and lifeless (v.32). The concept of nayas has been found attributed to Vimala Jina (v.61)
An historical point as regards to Mt. Girnar in Gujarat and the visit to this place by Arishtanemi Jina is accounted (v.129)
64