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विक्रम
Shelley also gave poetical expression to the creed of non-injury in the * Alastor' or The Spirit of Solitude'. Cf.
'If no bright bird, insect or gentle beast I consciously have injured, but still loved And cherished these my kindred : then foregive This boast, beloved brethren and withdraw
No portion of your wonted favour now' This creed of non-violence extends not only to animals but also to the vegetable kingdom. Long before J. C Bose, Wordsworth declared that plants had life. CF :
And 'tis my faith that every flower
Enjoys the air it breathes'. Reference, A Quarterly on Jainology. IX, January, 1975. 16. Else, the doctrine of ahimsa itself permits four kinds of himsa-acci
dental, occupational protective and intentional, Some speak of Sankal pni (done intentionally), arambhi (done while carrying out household affairs), udyogi (done while ploughing etc.) and virodhi (donc
for safeguarding nation) himsa. 17. It will be wrong to call Mahavira's doctrine of ahimsa as grotesque
exaggeration (Mrs. S Stevenson : Heart of Jainism). Nor is it right to say that the principle of ahimsa is against national security, and has weakened Hindu community. History tells us that even some Jainas like Vimala, Vastupala, Udayana, and Tejagadabiya were gallant generals and military leaders who served their chiefs with remarkable royalty and gallantry and proved equal to the generals hailing
from war-like races such as Rajputs, Jats and Muslims. 18. The Jaina philosopher Umasvati defined himsa as 'Pramatta yogat
pranvya paropanam himsa'. 19. We are told that he was killed when he tried to put an end to prac
tice of selling human flesh in the Mahakala temple. See, Pradhana
Chronology of Ancient India, pp. 72, 335. 20. See, Rock Edicts 1, 4, 8 and Lumbini Minor Pillar Edict. 21. N. M. Joshi : Studies in the Buddhist Culture of India, pp. 49, 90,
91. 22. K. C. Jain : Jainism in Rajasthan. p. 20. 23. Ibid., p. 207. 24. He persuaded the emperor in 1592 A. D. to forbid slaughter of ani
mals for six months. This fact is clear from an edict issued by the
emperor. See, K. C. Jain : Jainism in Rajasthan, p. 210. 25. Jinachandra prevailed on the king to order the prohibition of animal
killing for seven days (Navami to purnima) every year in the month of Ashadha. Akbar is also known to have observed the vow of nonviolence før 8 days when he was in Kashmir. See, K. C. Jain : Jai
pism Rajasthan p. 211. 26. K. C. Jain : Jainism in Rajasthan, pp. 209.210.
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