Book Title: Samayasara OR Nature of Self
Author(s): A Chakravarti
Publisher: Bharatiya Gyanpith

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Page 127
________________ cxxvi SAMAYASARA that presented by the previous age of the vedic culture. Spiritual yaga is considered to be inferior. Upanishads cmphasise a metaphorical yaga of kindling the spiritual fire by yoga in which all the impurities associated with the self are to be burnt for the purpose of self purification and spiritual realisation. The priests of Kurupanchala countries throng to the royal courts of the Prachyadesa with a request to be initiated into this new culture of Atmavidya which is championed by the Kshatriya scholars of the land. What is the origin of the new change of the attitude in the Upanishadıc culture. The only answer that we can think of is the Kshatriya intellectuals of the Eastern countries of the Gangetic valley staunchly defended their Ahimsa cult given to them by Lord Rishabha till they were able to convince the priest of Kurupanchala that their sacrifice was distinctly inferior to this cult of Ahimsa or Atmavidya. Thus we have the Jaina tradition fully coiroborated by non-Jaina Vedic literature in these three distinct historic groups of the Samhitas, Brahmanas, and the Upanishads These facts supplied by the Vedic literature taken in conjunction with the evidence supplied by the excavations of the Indus valley civilisation will constrain us to believe that the Rishabha cult of Ahimsa and the practice of tapas or yoga must have been the ancient cult of the Indians throughout the land prevalent even before the advent of the Aryans who sang the hymns of Rigveda. Thus the Ahimsa cult revealed by Lord Rishabha was the most ancient of religious cults which must have been prevalent in the Northern India and which must have been the practice in religion of the people of the land at the time of Aryan invasion. Moksha Marga: What is the Mokshamarga which is peculiar to Jainism? What are its special features ? How is it different from the religious principle associated with the other Indian Dharisanas, Mokshamarga is defined by Umaswami thus: Samyak Dharsana Jnana Charitranı Mokshamargaha : Right faith, Right knowledge and Right conduct, these three constitute the path to salvation. This is the first Sutra of Umaswami's monumental work called Tatvartha Sutra. The emphasis is . laid on all the three only when all the thice characteristics are combined they can constitute to Mokshamarga. Each

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