Shrutsagar 2017 08 Volume 04 Issue 03

Author(s): Hiren K Doshi
Publisher: Acharya Kailassagarsuri Gyanmandir Koba

Page 7

Awakening
Acharya Padmasagarsuri
The Place of Dharma According to Lord Mahavira, the last thirthankar, Jiva i.e, man does not think clearly when he is in the bondage of Karma; hence, he gets entangled in a perverse hunt of puerile sensual pleasures.
Throughout his existence, he remains in the grip of attachment. He does not hesitate to do any evil action in order to acquire wealth. Even old age does not prevent this. Though the body grows weak, desire does not. While the hair grows
grey, the mind continues to be black. Though the teeth fall, avarice keeps increasing. What a strange thing this is!
King Kumarpal picked up some gold coins belonging to a rat and it, afflicted by the loss, broke its head and died. From this, we learn that desire has its evil effect even upon animals. When that is so what should its effect be on man with stronger passions?
It is said that a certain man stole five hundred rupees belonging to somebody. On account of this action of his, he was so profoundly afflicted with grief and repentance that he committed suicide. This is called Atmahatya. Atma means soul; hatya means slaying. But atma or soul is immortal and imperishable. Such an entity cannot be killed. Some people who believe that the body is the soul have given currency to this expression; and so it is in usage. This idiom of the language cannot be done away with. Let it remain so. Shankaracharya said;
अर्थमनर्थं भवाय नित्यम् नास्ति ततः सुखलेशः सत्यम् Arthamanartham Bhavaya nityam Nasthi thathah sukhalesah satyam
(Think that wealth always brings misery. Truly in this (wealth, there is no happiness).
An illustration would make this point more clear. While two friends were walking by a road, a holy man came running from the opposite direction. They stopped him and asked him why he was running thus. The holy man said, "I saw Death beneath a tree on the way. I am running away to escape from him."