Swayambhustotra

Author(s): Vijay K Jain
Publisher: Vikalp

Page 37

Svayambhūstotra
As the sun, when it gets freed from the thick expanse of clouds, becomes the instrumental cause for the lotuses to bloom, in the same way, the Great Sage Lord Ajitanātha, free from the dense covering of karmas and endowed with the power of divine discourse, appeared for the removal of the dirt of karmas from the souls of all bhavya (capable of attaining liberation) souls.
येन प्रणीतं पृथु धर्मतीर्थं ज्येष्ठं जनाः प्राप्य जयन्ति दुःखम् । गाङ्ग ह्रदं चन्दनपङ्कशीतं गजप्रवेका इव धर्मतप्ताः ॥
(2-4-9) सामान्यार्थ - जैसे तीव्र गर्मी के आतप से पीड़ित बड़े-बड़े हाथी चन्दन की लेप के समान शीतल गंगा नदी के जल में नहाकर अपने क्लेश से छूट जाते हैं उसी प्रकार श्री अजितनाथ तीर्थङ्कर ने जिस सर्वोत्कृष्ट और विस्तृत धर्मतीर्थ का प्रणयन किया था उसे अपनाकर भव्य जीव संसार-समुद्र से पार हो जाते हैं, अर्थात् संसार के दु:खों से छूट जाते हैं।
As on entering the soothing water of the Ganges, cool like sandalwood, huge elephants, suffering from the scorching heat of the sun, get succour, in the same way, the supreme path to liberation which Lord Ajitanātha had promulgated, when understood and followed properly, can lead the bhavya (capable of attaining liberation) souls to overcome the miseries of the world.
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