Prabuddha Jivan 2015 Year 63 Ank 01 to 03

Author(s): Dhanvant Shah
Publisher: Mumbai Jain Yuvak Sangh

Page 143

ગાંધી જીવ્
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આ ફેબ્રુઆરી ૨૦૧૫
પ્રબુદ્ધ જીવન
ગાંધી જીવનનો અંતિમ અધ્યાય વિશેષાંક ૭ પૃષ્ઠ ૯૯ અંતિમ
LESSON - 4: TIRTHANKARAS
ENLIGHTEN YOURSELF BY SELF STUDY OF JAINOLOGY
DR. KAMINI GOGRI
In the following article we will study about the fourth topic, Tirthankars, Agama and other Jain Literature. Tirthankars
Tirthankars are those special virtuous souls who have attained ultimate eternal hapipness by liberation for themselves and have also shown the path of liberation for others. Jains believe in eternal cycles of time with rise and decline. Utsarpini is a `rising' era in which human morale and natural conditions improve over time. At the end of Utsarpini, begins Avasarpini, a declining' era of the same length, in
which human morale and virtues deteriorate. During the middle of every rising and declining era there are infinite souls who attain liberation but out of them only twenty-four souls become Tirthankaras. They are the humans like us who rise to highest spiritual level. While accumulating different karmas in past lives, they also accumulate and get a special karma called Tirthakar Nam Karma in the last 3rd of their life by performing one or more of the 20 special austerities. Tirthakar Nam Karma matures in the final life and leads the person to become a Tirthankara. After attaining omniscience, Tirthankara reorganizes Jain religion to suit the changing times and become a role-model and leader for those seeking spiritual guidance. Savve Jiv Karu Shashan Rasi.' Since there are infinite Kala Chakras there are infinite Chauvisies. In present time Adinath is from 3rd Ara and remaining 23 tirthankaras are from 4th Ara. Definitions -
Tirthankaras literally means builders of ford, which leads across the samsara i.e. the sea of suffering. The Tirthankara is the personage who shows the path to liberation (moksha). It also means the spiritual leader who established four Tirthas- sadhu (monk), sadhvi (nun), sravaka (layperson-male) and sravika (layperson-female). Tirtha also means Pravachana (sermon). Hence, Pravachankara is called Tirthankara. By the term 'Tirtha' is also meant the group of twelve Anga. Thus, Tirthankaras are so called be
cause they are the authors of the meaning emobodied in Anga works composed by their direct disciples.
From this it can be derived that the title Tirthankara is peculiar to Jainism.
Scholars like Buhler and Jacobi are of the opinion that the meaning Tirthankara - prophet or founder of the religion - is a derivation from the Brahmanical use of the word Tirtha in the sense of `doctrine'. Emblems
The emblems (symbols) associated with the Tirthankaras are drawn mostly from animal and vagetation life. Swastika, srivasta and nandyvarta, which traditionally have auspicious qualities, also posses great antiquity. Thunderbolt is the only object which is an astra used in warfare. These symbols suggest sublimation of the qualities possessed by chosen animals and vegetable forms.
1. Bhagavan Rishabha Dev- Bull 2. Bhagavan Ajitnath
3. Bhagavan Sambhavanath 4. Bhagavan Abhinandan
5. Bhagavan Sumatinath
(Kronch) Lotus
6. Bhagavan Padmaprabha
7. Bhagavan Suparshvanath Swastika 8. Bhagavan Chandraprabha Moon 9. Bhagavan Pushpadanta 10. Bhagavan Sitalanath
11. Bhagavan Sreyansanath
12. Bhagavan Vasupujya 13. Bhagavan Vimalanath 14. Bhagavan Anantanath 15. Bhagavan Dharmanath 16. Bhagavan Santinath 17. Bhagavan Kunthunath 18. Bhagavan Aranath 19. Bhagavan Mallinath 20. Bhagavan Munisuvrata
ગાંધી જીવતતો અંતિમ અધ્યાય વિશેષ પોતાને છેતરવાની માનવીની શક્તિ અમાપ અને આશ્ચર્યજનક છે.
hષાંક
Elephant Horse
Monkey
Curlew or
Red Ghoose bird
Crocodile Kalpavriksha Rhinoceros (Ghenda)
Female Buffalo
Pig
Baj
Vajra
Deer
Goat
Fish
Kalasa Tortoise
વતતો અંતિમ અધ્યાય વિશેષાંક
ગાંધી જીવતતો અંતિમ અધ્યાય વિશેષાંક ગાંધી
અંતિમ અધ્યાય વિશેષાંક
ગાંધી જીવતતો અંતિમ અધ્યાય વિશેષાંક ગાંધી જીવનનો અંતિમ અધ્યાય વિશેષાંક ગાંધી જીવતતો અંતિમ અધ્યાયવિશેષાંક