Sanatan Jain

Author(s): Unknown
Publisher: ZZZ Unknown

Page 20

PARESNATH HILI.
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any had acquired Kebal Gnan or There is one other point which de. right and perfect knowledge attained servos careful thought in the examineNirvana in that piecefull religion. tion of the sacred character which
they assume in reference to thc enUnder these circumstances is it an
tire Hill. It is invariably the custom extravagant supposition to believe that in this country as elsewhere to regard the Hill in its entirely is sacred be- & particular shrine as commemorating yond all sacredness as in the nature a particular event or perpetuating of things by the remote historicity the name of a single religious prophet attaching to the early career of the Budhalava or Kucin saints? It would be an impossible the sacred mr nory of Sakya Muni. feat to connect particular places with But the remarkable feature in the their memories. How can the Jains Pareshnath Hill which distinguishes set apart a definite locality altogether it from all other shrines is the fact for the use of health-hunters and that it is redolent of the honoured pleasure seekers when they cannot menories of not one or two but not Satisfy themselves that the places com fewer than twenty Thirthadkers comprised therein not excepting a slab of ing one after another with thousands stone or mound of earth are totally of Sadhus and Munies through an unconnected by associations with the
age long series of years. That is a illustrious group of these Thirthankers. significant characteristic of the ParesNothing is farther from the truth than
Dath Hill which serves to mark it off the gratuitious assumption that the
from other holy places. Does not this temples and shrines exhaust all con
peculiar circumstance tend to attach ceivable association that the saints to the hill additional sanctity en had with a hill of such & vest size, and
importance? Is it not sufficient to extent. The assumption is the corner invest the place with a singuiar stone of the only available argument charm? I beseech and most humbly
charm? I that is employed to rebut the theory pray the Government to ponder deepof the all enveloping sanctity of the ly over the fact that the Pareshpath Hill. It is an article of the Jains' Hill though bearing the name of one creed that the Hill is not capable of saint, is also overloaded with the being partitioned in respect of the memories of those who went be fare variations of its sanctity. They can him. Such being the case is it not not suffer to see the “sights and
meet and proper that its sanctity sonnds of the world ” flaunting under should not be restrained to one partitheir very nose in the Hill. They cular portion of the Hill and the retake their stand on the highest consi- mainder should not be given over derations of religion which cannot to the tender mercies of the men of truckle to the meaner requirements of the world. That would be an act of
derecration which might be taken as public convenience and pleasure.