________________
This means —"The great ascetics keep equanimity when one anoints the arm with sandalwood or cuts with the adze, and when one praises or abuses."
3. In his commentary to Yasovijayagani's Adhyatmasāra, the commentator Gambhīravijayagañī explains the phrase thus : वासीचन्दन तुल्यता, वासी कुठारिका, तया शरीरस्यछेदनं तथा चन्दनेनार्चनं,तयो विषये तुल्यता- शोकहर्षाभावात्सादृश्यं स्यात्-रागद्वेषयोरवकाशाभावादित्यर्थः ।"
The explanation is : “Vāsĩ means Kuthārikā i.e., a small axe (or an adze) - slitting of the body by it-and anointment with sandalwood-equanimity in both these cases; it is because of the absence of sadness and happiness because of the absence of love and hatred that there is similarity (between the two).
4. The Subhāsita-Ratna-Bhānļāgāra or a collection of epigrammatic and instructive Sanskrit verses, supplies us some verses using the same metaphor of Vāsi and Chandana.. A maxim quoted from Ravigupta reads:
"सुजनो न याति विकृति, परहित निरतो विनाशकालेऽपि ।
छेदेऽपि चन्दनतरुः सुरभयति मुखं कुठारस्य ॥" That is, “A gentleman who is always beneficial to others does not give up his gentleness even in the time of his catastrophe ; the sandalwood perfumes the edge of the axe in spite of being cut by it."
Another popular apopthegm collected in the above work is :
"धिक चेष्टितानि परशो परिशोचनीयवालप्रवालमलयाद्रिरूहद्रुहस्ते। निभिद्यमान-हृदयोऽपि महानुभाव: स त्वन्मुखं पुनरमीः सुरभीकरोति ।।"
The sense is “O axe ! I hate your activities. Your rancour of sandalwood is really a matter of anxiety (for) that gentleman (i.e., sandalwood) in spite of his heart being lacerated by you, scents your mouth with his fragrance."
"समतापरिपाके स्याद् विषयग्रहशून्यता ।
यया विशदयोगानां वासीचन्दनतुल्यता॥
Adhyātmasāra by Yasovijayagaņi, pub. by Jain Dharma Prasaraka Sabha, Bhavnagar, 1915, 3/37.
2. Ibid., p. 70.
3. Subhāsita Ratna Bhāndāgāra, ed. by Kasinath Panduranga Parab, Pub. by Nirnaya Sagar Press, Bombay, 1891, third edition, p. 71, verse 93.
4. Ibid., p. 378, v. 48. 162
तुलसी प्रज्ञा
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
