Monk and Monarch

Author(s): Vidyavijay
Publisher: Deepchand Banthia

Page 33

Here we should mention one other thing also. The: welfare of a country depends as much on a good king as on good religious and social leaders and preachers. Jain monks had been signally successful in their duty of guiding both the people and the king properly. We have already mentioned the earlier Jain monks of this nature. Moreover Jain monks like Jinasinhasuri, Jinadevasuri and Ratnashekharasuri had won over the hearts of the most cruel and tyrranous kings like Muhammad Taghlakh, Firozshah, Allauddin and Aurangzeb.
But even this Jain religion had become a prey to the demoralising effects of the times. At that time, neither was Sangha properly firmly constituted nor was any one person able to wield a firm influence on the community. Consequently, the Sangha was disintegrating. New sects were starting one after the other. In A. D. 1452 a man named Lonka started Lonkamat. He preached against idol-worship. In A. D. 1506, a man named Katuk started Katukmat. In A. D. 1514 Vijaya started Vijayamat. In A. D. 1516, Parshvachandra started Parshvachandramat, and in A. D. 1546 there came out a Sudharmamat. Not only did these sects make some changes in Jain mat, but each one of them tried to establish its superiority over Jain places of pilgrimage. This would lead to gradual disintegration of the religion. Therefore, teachers of various sects once met on the Siddhachal Tirtha and resolved that the original castle and the temple of Shri Adinath on the Shatrunjaya Tirtha belonged to the whole Jain Shvetambar community and other lesser places belonged to different sects. Jain monks deteriorated in their religious life. They neglected their religious duties, ideals and practices. Consequently Shravakas lost all trust in them. Jain religion was fast deteriorating.
If the monks had deteriorated, Shravakas were no better, They too acted as they liked and no longer respected the religion. They had become self-willed and proud.
But even in such low times, there were some monks who were true to their faith. A selfless monk named Anandvimalsuri had tried his best to resuscitate the temples and the religion. But his efforts were not crowned with success, because he had no co-operation. Therefore the country was in great and urgent need of a great and noble soul, in fact a saviour.