________________
MOKSHA MARG PRAKASHAK
good and bad conditions are caused by Vishnu or say that both are the outcome of one's own acts & conduct. If everything is done by Vishnu then how can he be called a protector when many Jivas are seen unhappy and dieing quickly? And if it is the outcome of one's own acts & conduct then "as he will sow so shall he reap"- what will then Vishnu protect?
150
Then he says-"Those who are the devotees of Vishnu, he protects them." We say to him- 'Ants, elephants etc., are not his devotees then, believing the duty of Vishnu in supplying food grain, etc. to them, in helping in difficulty and in not letting one die, why do you then belive him to be the protector of all? Rather believe him to be the protector of the devotees only. But he does not seem to be the protector even of the devotees, because the non-devotees also are seen torturing the devotees.'
Then he says-On many occasions he has helped Prahlad etc., we say to him -'Wherever he has helped, there you may believe him to be so. 'But we find that the devotees are afflicted by the wicked barbarian, Mohammedans, etc., 'non-devotees and temples etc. are being destroyed by such persons then why does he not help in such situations? So, either he does not possess the power or he is not aware of it. If he does not possess the power then he is proved to be weaker than the non-devotees too. If he is not aware of it then one who does not know even this much, he is proved to be an ignorant.
And if you say that Vishnu possesses the power also and knows also, but he desired this way only. Why do you then call him kind to devotees? Thus, believing Vishnu as the protector of the universe is not proved.
Further, they, the monists, say- 'Lord Mahesha is the destroyer'. We ask them - Whether Mahesha indulges in the act of destruction always or does so only at the time of total destruction of the world? If he always does so, then as you have adored Vishnu for protecting the universe, similarly you should censure Mahesha for destroying the universe. Because the protection and destruction are contradictory.
And how does he do the destruction? As a person beats someone by his hands, etc. or gets him beaten by others, so similarly does
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
Jain Education International
