Mahavira Jain Vidyalay Suvarna Mahotsav Granth Part 1

Author(s): Mahavir Jain Vidyalaya Mumbai
Publisher: Mahavir Jain Vidyalay

Page 645

176 : SHŘI MAHAVIRA JAINA VIDYALAYA GOLDEN JUBILEE VOLUME
येऽत्रानादिजगत्प्रवाहपतिता नानागमाः साधव
स्ते तिष्ठन्तु यथास्थिताः स्वसमयाविष्टाश्चरन्तः क्रियाः। ये तु प्रस्तुतधर्मविप्लवकृतः पापास्तपोऽपायिन
FaII fa qayfa ai grifaa Eigfa: III. 1. In the Agamadambara the author depicts some of the salient features of the religious practices of the Buddhists, Jainas, śaivas, Cárvākas and Sättvata-Vaisnavas. Of course, his delineations are not always correct and sometimes also a bit distorted. But, on the whole, they are realistic and give a concrete picture of the religious life of Kashmir of his time. The overall attitude of the author appears to be reformative and he takes a world view when he asserts a common thread of truth running through the conflicting views in the following verse:
एकः शिवः पशुपतिः कपिलोऽथ विष्णुः __ संकर्षणो जिनमुनिः सुगतो मनुर्वा । संज्ञाः परं पृथगिमास्तनवोऽपि काम
Har a qualche afta H: 11 IV. 57. Jayanta harps on the same view when he says नानाविधैरागममार्गभेदै
रादिश्यमाना बहवोऽभ्युपायाः। एकत्र ते श्रेयसि संपतन्ति
forat garat Ta slad : 11 IV. 54. The above strengthens the belief that Sankaravarman's royal policy of accepting all the ancient Agamas as valid was highly influenced by this liberal attitude of the philosopher-politician of his court.
Our main interest in this paper is to present Jayanta's view on the life of the Jaina monks, nuns and Srāvakas of his time. In the praveśaka of the second act of the drama we find that a Mīmāmsaka named Sankarşaņa (who was later on appointed superintendent of religious affairs of the state) has deputed an urchin to report about the presence of the Jaina Ācārya, Jinarakṣita by name, who was in all probability a historical figure contemporary to our author. The boy goes to the Jaina monastery and finds a state of affairs which is not elevating. He actively associates himself with the affairs, makes fun with the Jaina ascetic, nervous due to his moral weakness, and is offered some bribe before he departs.
Sankarşaņa now comes to Jinarakṣita who was surrounded by his disciples under a pipal tree. The Acārya was explaining the necessity