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PREFACE: XLI of spirituality and the instruments of spiritual emancipation have been taken as real and substantial tīrthas (Niścayatīrtha) and the places of occurrence of five auspicious events of the Prophets have been taken as conventional tīrthas (Vyavahāratīrtha). It has also been said in Mulacara that those, which quench the thirst, cool the heat and cleanse the dirt are physical tīrthas and the liberated Lords Jina, endowed with infinite knowledge, infinite vision and absolute conduct, are the spiritual tīrthas. This spiritual tīrtha itself is the real tirtha. The places of auspicious events (Kalyāṇaka-bhūmi) are the conventional or physical tīrthas 31. Thus, in both, Svetambara as well as Digambara traditions, importance has been given to spiritual or real tīrthas, but due to their motivational role in the purification of the soul, physical or conventional tīrthas have also been accepted. It may be recalled that the concept of tīrtha in the other religious traditions can be compared to the physical or conventional tīrthas or holy places of igrimage.
The Development Of The Meaning Of The Word Tirtha In The Jaina Tradition -
In the Śramanic tradition, in the beginning tīrtha was assigned a spiritual meaning. In the ancient Agamic explanatory works such as Visesavasyaka Bhasya, the concept of accepting the rivers, lakes, etc. as tīrthas, just as in the Vedic tradition, was refuted and in its place the concept of accepting the path of threeway spiritual practice and the religious order of the faithful
- Bodhpähuda, Tīkā, 27/13/7.
31 Duviham ca hoī tittham nadavvani davvabhāvasañjuttam Edesim donham pi ya patteya paruvaṇā
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