________________
Tirthankaravada of Jainas : (81)
has had a strength and guidance in times of varied disturbances. Thus, the idea of Godhood is a development out of all other confusing opinions current in those days. The attributes associated with God are said to be indescribable and He is supposed to be a readymade one with all virtues from the beginning to the end. It may be easily called mythological even. The older philosophies like the Carvākas, Bauddhas, Pūrva-mīmāmsakas and the most vocal Jainas, however, do not agree to the concept of God. The Jainas have volumes of literature criticizing this concept, their main arguments are:
(i) The good God cannot create such a pitiable world.
(ii) The all-pervasive and permanent God can create all things simultaneously and not by stages.
(iii) The concept of God makes a man dependant on super-power, makes him fatalist, inactive and submissive pore. Hence these are the reasons for long political slavery of this country.
On the other hand, Jainas postulate that
(i) There is no God-like creator of the Universe.
(ii) Man is free to develop himself and his surroundings by practice of equality, hard labour and self-control or self-sufficiency,
(iii) All men can develop good virtues of Gods in themselves and become Gods. Thus, Jainas presume many gods instead of one. They are all devoid of superpower of creation and control.
(iv) It is the natural laws that govern the world cycle of its origin and destruction.
The Universe
There are two important aspects associated with the concept of God. They are the creation of the Universe and its maintenance. The God exists in a form of Trinity-Brahma creates it, Visņu maintains and develops it and Śiva destroys it. The Hindu tradition believes that Brahma's 24-day consists of 8640 billion years. He creates the Universe in the beginning of the day and submerges it under water at night. At the end of Brahma's life of 100 years or 3.14 x1015 years, the mahāpralaya takes place, every thing being dissociated and absorbed into the supreme. After each pralaya, the Supreme starts the cycle again. The Jainas also believe a similar cycle of evolution and destruction but their tenure or laps of 107 years is much bigger. They
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
