________________
XXXVI: SĀRĀVALĪ PRAKĪRNAKA the soul and the religious order, that helps in carrying out such practices, have been taken as the real tirtha in the Jaina tradition.
The Four Types Of Holy-places Or Tīrtha -
Abhidhãna Rājendra Kosa mentions four types of holyplaces – Năma-tīrtha (places or objects that are named as “Tīrtha' or pilgrimage), Sthāpanā-tirtha (places or object that are traditionally believed to be “Tīrtha’ or places of pilgrimage), Dravya-tirtha (physical places and objects considered as holy and consequently as places of pilgrimage) such as the holy rivers, lakes etc. in the other traditions and the places where any of the five auspicious events (Kalyanaka) – birth, self-ordination, attainment of omniscience and libearation – in the lives of any of the twentyfour Lord Prophets (Tīrtharikaras) occured and Bhāva-tīrtha (volitional pilgrimage or dispassionate volitional dispositions that help in the purification of the soul and, thus, pave the way for its
timate liberation and are, therefore, a means to ford across the ocean of maundane existence). The four-fold religious order comprising monks, nuns, lay male and female followers that help the aspirants in treading the path of spiritual emancipation are the Bhavātirthas 2. Thus, in the Jaina faith, first of all the faith preached by the omnicient Prophets and next the four-fold religious order of the monks, the nuns and the lay male and female believers have been taken as “Tīrtha’ and the Lord Prophets who preached the faith and established the order have been accepted as “Tīrtharkaras:
The Religious Order As Tīrtha
In the śramanic tradition, in the ancient times, the word
21 Namam thavanā-tittham, davvatittham ceva bhāvatitthani cal
- Abhidhāna Rājendra Kosa, Pt. IV, p. 2242.
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
