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XLVI: SĀRĀVALI PRAKĪRNAKA
pilgrimages in the ancient canonical works such as icäranga, Uttarādhyayana and Daśavaikālika definitely raises a question before us.
All the mentions pertaining to the tirthas and pilgrimages thereto are found in the canon-explanatory literature - Niryuktis, Bhāsyas and Cūrnīs. In the Ācārārga-niryukti the holy places of Astăpada, Ürjayanta, Gajāgrapada, Dharmacakra and Ahicchatra have been bowed to.“ It becomes clear from this that the concept of places of pilgrimage and proceeding on pilgrimages thereto, bowing and worshiping there had firmed up by the period of the Niryuktis, and that these were considered as acts of piety and merit. It has been clearly mentioned in the Nisitha-cúrni that the followers' faith is strengthened by pilgrimages to the places of occurrence of the auspicious events of the Lords Prophets.?
Thus, the clear mentions regarding the places of occurrence of auspicious events of the prophets as places of pilgrimage and pilgrimages thereto were, first of all, found from the sixth century AD. However, this practice must certainly have been prevelent even before this time. In this period even those places where the temples had become famous for their architectural grandeour were regarded as places of pilgrimage and bowing and pilgrimage thereto were also considered to cause enlightenment and separation of the bonded karma. In the Nisītha-cúrni, besides the places of auspicious happenings of the prophets, Dharmacakra in Uttarāpatha, the dome created by the gods in Mathura and the idol of Jīvantaswami in Kosala were considered as worthy of
14 Atthāvaya ujjinte gayaggapae dhammacakke ya | Pasarahāvattanagami camaruppavam ca vandami
-- Ācāranga Niryukti, p. 18. 37 Niśītha Cūrní Pt. I, p. 24.
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