Book Title: Kesarimalji Surana Abhinandan Granth
Author(s): Nathmal Tatia, Dev Kothari
Publisher: Kesarimalji Surana Abhinandan Granth Prakashan Samiti

View full book text
Previous | Next

Page 1253
________________ 32 Karmayogi Sri Kesarimalji Surāņā Abhinandana Grantha : Seventh Part of the race.' (2) Matyanupālana (preservation of understanding), (3) Atmānupalana (protection or preservation of self), (4) Prajānupālan, (protection of the subjects) and (5) Sāmañjasatya (propriety). Kulānupàlana is preservation of the purity of the race by the king by being careful in accepting offering (remains of these) and garlands etc., from people including Sadhus of other faiths lest they be poisoned etc. They can accept such things from a Muni because Rājarşi and Parmarsi are cognate. They are so because the first lord created the kşatriya class, his own class, first for the protection of people with conviction that in karmabhūmi people will need protection and so there should be others to protect them. Matyanupālana means the knowledge of what is good for the king in this and the other world. This can be achieved by destroying avidyā which is nothing but false knowledge (mithya-Jñāna). Presevation of the self (ātmānupalana) can be achieved by resort to dharma as it protects one from all sorts of troubles. Rajya is an evil because even the son and real brothers are constantly conspiring against the king. It constantly breeds evils and there is hardly an iota of happiness. The king should at least in his last days take recourse to dharma and meditate on the true nature of his soul etc., lest he dies of poison, arms etc. The fundamental duty of a king is prajānupālana or protection of the people. This he should do in the manner of a cowherd. He should resort to anurūpadanda or mild punishment lest even the ministers turn against him. Propriety (sāmañjasatva) on the part of a king is protection of the good (sista) and control (nigraha) of the wicked. In doing so, he should not spare even the prince. The Ideal King Bharata was the embodiment of all virtues. He was Rājarşi according to Jinasena. He was a pious man and was emulated by his subjects. It this way, we get the detailed and exhaustive description of Jaina polity in Jinasena's Adipurāna. It discusses the political development from pre-historic times to the fully developed states and kingdom. He describes the cosmic process of evolution and denies the creator of universe as a special power i. e., God etc. So he also discards the notion of God-gifted kings. It is the special feature of Jinasena's political philosophy, which is according to Jaina tradition, found nowhere except the conviction of modern science. So it can be said that Jinasena's political philosophy is most scientific. 1 I am inclined to translate kula here as 'race'.-(The author) २ (क) इत्यादिराजं तत्सम्राट् अहो राजर्षिनामकम् । ___ तत्सार्वभौममित्यस्य दिशासूच्छलितं यशः ।। (ख) धर्मशीले महीपाले यान्ति तच्छीलतां प्रजाः। अताच्छील्यमतच्छीले यथाराजा तथाप्रजाः ॥ (alfagarut x8/842) (antagarot xt/cs) Jain Education International For Private & Personal Use Only www.jainelibrary.org

Loading...

Page Navigation
1 ... 1251 1252 1253 1254 1255 1256 1257 1258 1259 1260 1261 1262 1263 1264 1265 1266 1267 1268 1269 1270 1271 1272 1273 1274 1275 1276 1277 1278 1279 1280 1281 1282 1283 1284 1285 1286 1287 1288 1289 1290 1291 1292 1293 1294