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Vol.XXIII, 2000
SHRIMAD RAIACHANDRA'S.... Śrimad Rājachandra looks at the 'Dharma' exactly the way Āgamas want spiritual aspirants to look at. Although Srimad Rājachandra's approach is of same viewpoint, his treatment of 'Dharma' is rather different. He leads aspirants towards 'Dharma' in gradual stages. Thus three stages can be surmised from these poems - they are -
(1) Preparing the ground for the understanding of Dharma. (2) Defining principles of Dharma in the light of Agamas.
(3) Easy way to follow the doctrines of Dharma. First stage : (1) Preparation of ground for the understanding of Dharma :
First poem of the 'Kavyamala' collection is 'काळ कोइने नहि मूके'. Here, He propounds with various illustrations that body is destructible - not permanent. The outer ornaments are of no use for they cannot protect you from the sure death of body. It is -
मोती तणी माला गळामां मूल्यवंती मलकती, हीरा तणा शुभ हारथी बहु कंठकांति झळकती; आभूषणोथी ओपता भाग्या मरणने जोइने,
जन जाणीए मन मानीए नव काळ मूके कोइने. Then he says, "whether one is king, or a very lucky person or a very brave one, the death spares none. One may wear the rings of different auspicious stones on his ten fingers, still he has to leave all that and depart. Srimad puts it as -
दश आंगलीमां मांगलिक मुद्रा जडित माणिक्यथी, जे परम प्रेमे पे'रता पोंची कला बारीकथी; ए वेढ वींटी सर्व छोडी चालिया मुख धोइने,
जन जाणीए मन मानीए नव काळ मूके कोइने.'4 Here, Srimad wants his readers to realize the destructible nature of human body. Therefore, he wants others to concentrate on higher goals than the worldly gross achievements. This view is further elaborated in the small poem of Upajāti metre, that, “life is momentary like a ripple of water and desires of worldly
