Book Title: Practical Path
Author(s): Champat Rai Jain
Publisher: ZZZ Unknown

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Page 124
________________ MOKSHA. 111 in the Vishnu Purana, as the removal of the embryo of Krishna from the womb of Rohini to that of her co-wife, Devaki, Krishna being the Ideal of Godhood or Perfection for the soul. The idea is that the conception of divinity is first formed in the mind or intellect," and is thence transferred to the soul-substance which, assuming its form, itself becomes “Krishna' (God). The same is the explanation of the teaching of the Sveatambra sect of Jainas who hold that the last holy tirthamkara, Shri Vardhmâna-Mahavira, was first conceived in the womb of a brahmana lady and thence transferred to that of Queen Trisala. The brahmanical caste being noted for learning, the brahmana lady clearly becomes symbolical of intellect in whose womb the 'tirthamhara' (Godhood) is first conceived. It will not be out of place here to point out the nature of the trouble which is sure to arise from a concentration of mind on an erroneous, or fanciful, concept of the divine form. Since the intensity of concentration tends to establish the soul-substance in the form of the object of contemplation, he who holds in his mind any ill-shaped, misconceived or distorted image of divinity would be throwing his soul into a wrong mould, the impress of which it would not be an easy matter to destroy. This is not all, for the requisite degree of the intensity of concentration also is not possible where the * The intellectual origin of Christos is also recognised by the holy Bible which describes the Messiah as a carpenter's son. Now, since a carpenter's work consists in cutting (analysis) and joining together (synthesis), he is as good a symbol for the intellectual faculty as any that can be thought of. Jain Education International For Private & Personal Use Only www.jainelibrary.org

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