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XXXII. THE LORD MAHAVIRA IS THE ONLY SAVIOUR
Thus, - showing the Holy One's unique capacity by the cutting away of other systems, to be effected by unfailing power of statement in uplifting the world sunk in darkness consisting of delusion through the deceptive members of other sects, - he demonstrates a proficiency in propriety of persons whose minds are disposed to pay attention to him - XXXII. This world, set alas! by the worthless opponents, as by illusionists, in blind gloom frightful through intermixture of truth-untruth,
Thou alone with unerring statement art definitely able to uplift. Hence, O Saviour! to Thee the thoughtful render service.
This, visibly observed; world, universe; metonymously, people in the world; by the worthless opponents: those 'opponents' who are worthless', lowest; members of other sects; 'worthless opponents'; by them: as by illusionists, as by jugglers, as by people skilled in the practice of Sambari-art; that is what it comes to. In blind gloom, in thick darkness; alas! is used in grief; set, deeply set, placed, let fall that is the meaning. 'Blind' because it makes blind, blinds; and that is so, and also 'gloom', so it is 'blind gloom'. Tamasa has the suffix a in virtue of the sutra: "After sam, ava and andha in tamas"). In that 'blind gloom'. What sort of 'blind gloom' ? In order to exclude material darkness he says: "frightful through intermixture of truth-untruth': Both truth and untruth are truth-untruth; of those two the intermixture, state of being intermixed, mixedness, interchange of own - natures, "intermixture of truth and untruth'. Therethrough frightful, terrible. A blind gloom wherein arises an intermixture, such that there is insertion (abhinivesa) of non-truth in truth, and insertion of truth in non-truth. - That is the meaning. And in virtue of this epithet only what is delusive through falsity is in very truth 'blind gloom', because that only has such a definition. And to that effect in another book says the respected author of the present Laudation: (241)
"Awareness of a divinity in regard to a non-divinity, idea of a guru in regard to a non-guru,
And awareness of merit in regard to non-merit are falsity through contradiction therein").
Hence the meaning is as follows: As truly jugglers, having such well taught system of arts of deluding others, by setting in motion something of such kind, consisting mainly of drugs, mantras, dexterity, etc., sink the people of the company in a gloom consisting of illusion, so also those of other sects, exhibiting in the same manner argumentation of bad deductions, badly studied, cast this world into a great darkness of delusion. That, the world, to uplift, to draw from the inundation of the great darkness of delusion; definitely, certainly; Thou alone, not another; art able, capable. Why thus is the capacity of His Holiness alone described? The cause he states by way of an epithet: with unerring statement, because being made clear
4) Hemacandra's Grammar, VII. iii. 80 (M. L.).
2) Hemacandra's Yoga-sastra, 11. 3 (M. L.).
