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Haribhadra, Jainism and Yoga
T45
Jain and soon became the chief disciple of his Jain Guru by dint of his erudition.
Though Haribhadra's life-story is very scantily recorded, this dramatic incidence tells profusely about the core of the great Pandit. Though his parentage is not much known and his early life is under a mist, his real personality is well revealed in this sudden and thoughtful change in his life. The fact that he was a royal priest makes out the fact that he was a very learned Pandit of his times and could reach upto a covetable position of a royal priest. His ironical approach to the seeming inconsistency in Jain idol-worship expresses pride of his high learning. But his inborn humanity is well revealed in his vow of becoming a pupil of the man whose sayings he could not well grasp. It also expresses his thirst for knowledge and aspiration to rise higher in the field of erudition. His joining Jainism without a murmer and learning Jain scriptures draws out his innate catholicity of mind. Haribhadra was so proficient in all scriptural knowledge, that in no time he becomes an Acārya himself. He had his own disciples and through teaching them he wrote a number of books on philosophy, religion, ethics and other allied subjects. He soon saw the similarity of the core of all philosophies and all religions. His integral approach to all knowledge and even to life itself, naturally grew out of his life and experiences. Integrating vision was already there along with his synthesising mind but it became more and more clear as he advanced in age. Though Pandit Haribhadra had become a real Acārya Haribhadra he had to undergo one more shock in his life. His changeover to Jainism was a self-willed sudden change and it was a matter of great joy to him though it must have shocked the Hindus of his times and especially the Brahmin caste. But the very tragic event of the assasination of his two dear pupils by some Buddhists proved to be a great shock to him. As he was a devoted son to Yakini Mahattarā and a faithful disciple to his Jain Guru, equally he was a loving master to his pupils. On hearing the killings of his dear pupils, he decided to fast unto death. On very hard and persistent persuation from his near ones and colleagues, he gave up the idea and decided to spend the rest of his life in writing books on philosophy, religion and especially on Yoga considering such of his creations a substitution of his departed pupils. This shocking event and equally sublimating decision turned Ācārya Haribhadra into Yogi Haribhadrācārya. Pandit Sukhlalji has rightly called him Ācārya Haribhadra and he gave him a fitting epithet of a Samadarśı. I would like to call him Yogi Haribhadrācāarya. Yogitva includes samadarsitva and is much more than that. Haribhadra's Yogitva is very well revealed in the event
Samboahi Vol. 8(19)
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