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Shri Mahavir Jain Aradhana Kendra
www.kobatirth.orgAcharya Shri Kailashsagarsuri Gyanmandir
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examples with the kings of Mithila and Benares. The city of Mithilā is set on fire, but it does not affect the mind of its ex-king, who lives exceedingly happy, having no earth!! possession to claim as his own. The sentiments displayed are quite in accord with the national spirit of the Hiu lus in whose life, from the dawn of intellect, the spiritual motive predominates, throwing all material interests in the shade. Now, so far as the Dhammapada verses are concerned, they are intended to contrast the life of the householder, who is 80 unbappy with his riches and relations, with that of the Bhikkhu who is 80 very happy and contented, although possession he has done. These set forth the remote object of recluse life which is to impress on the householders that the true source of happiness is neither material prosperity nor earthly power but renunciation and contentment. They also imply a criticism of ascetic rigorism tending to the opposite extreme of civil life, and teach that the right metbod of stimulating religious fervour among people at large lies not in appearing more miserable in austerity than they do in their worldliness, but in bringing home to them the sharp contrast that exists between the two pursuits, one leading to material advantage and the other to Nirvana (ainā di lābhúpanisā, aññā nibbānagamini, Dhammapada, v. 75).
Verse 4.--Suhai would be in Pali sukhāya, 'for the sake of happiness', a dative singular form of snha. The Pali reading susukkan, 'happily', seems better than the Prakrit which implies that happiness is the end of recluse life. The adverb susukhann signifies, on the other bånd, that the religious life is lived for its own sake, while happiness follows as a matter of course. Usueşu anusua = Pāli 1188u kesa annssukā, Sk. utou keşu anutsukāh, without anxiety among those who are anxious'. Rockhill translates the Tibetan rendering of utsukeņu as "among men who are greedy," and Beal translates the Chinese rendering of anutsukāh by " sorrowless." Neither of these two renderings are up to
Prof. Mar xoller was fally justified in making this observation with regard to the Hinda civilisation. Not that tho Hindus have all consod to fulfil the Becular functions of human life. Nor that they have not developed secalar Sciences and Arts in their extravagant zoal for the pursuit of the higher aspirations of religion. But that thero is 10 other proplo on earth who have made so gigantic an citort to prepuuro their inind to 'dwell apart liko & star' from all carthly good. And whatever their political status, Ao long as they are true to this spirit of thoir forofathers, thoy have n distinct place in the history of the world and thoy have a distinct innsuge to in part to other peoples,
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