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THE SAMETSÄIKHAR AFFAIRS.
235
CUU
inent in the said case describing the beart of even women and children, practices observed by the Jains on and the Jains will never never forgive visiting the Hill, to show that every it. part of the Hill is equally an object of At a time when the Lainga adoration to them, and to give an idea ly plunged in grief, when they are of the depth of veneration with which smarting under such brutal excruciathey look upon the sacred place."When tion, at such a juncture, to scoff at they first get a view ofthe bill,they adore their religious susceptibilities, to sneer it and perform an act of worship. at them, is simply driving them to Then the night before they ascend, desperation. Knowing full well that they perfornú the 'Arati' of the Hill & Jain leads such an innocent life as which is a sort of illumination in its never to deprive any sentiant being honour. Then they comience their
of his life, however mean ho may be reworship at the foot of the Hill; they ckoned to be, to say that your threat to ascend barefoot, the wealthy scatte- join the unrestful' elements is a hollow ring milk and saffron along the road. one is simply stage thunder,does it not Then they perform another Pujuh at amount to saying that your religion Sita-nala balf way up. They are for- has made you cowards? Is it not askbidden to eat, drink or perform the ing them to break through the wholeoffices of nature upon the Hill, and some restraint of their religion ? Is it lastly as a crowning act of the pilgri- not playing the part of Iago and sugmage they compass the Hill roun: gesting to them the nefarious course before they quit the place." Not of becoming fanatics or anarchists? only the pilgrim visiting the holy Exactly the same view has been Hill, but every Jain in India, as a taken by an English Principal of part of his daily religious duties, a Calcutta college, who has remarked remembers everyday with reverence “We are goading these men into disthe name of the lushe's-tirth, Samet- loyalty by our brutal lack of symshikherji, and the vast number of rathy. Is that to be wondered at? Hymns proclaiming its glory found in When you trample on a man's tende. the Jain ritual, the substance of which
rest feelings and sentiments do you is csis site (el 24 al) that an 10- expect him to be grateful for it?" finite number of human beings have
Remember that people generally fly attained final beatitude (Moksha) on every stone of it, all bear testimony from one extreme to the other. The to the same fact. And now, to put it Babu was proverbial for his cowardice. briefly, the desecrating order of the And that self-saine Babu has now Government is tantamount to & fiat become an anarchist, Action is in. that this loine should either amend variably followed by reaction, and let their ritual or draw a red line over it! all rest assured that the reaction will This piece of effrontery bas gone to the sooner or later come, and that too
Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat
www.umaragyanbhandar.com
