Yasastilaka and Indian Culture

Author(s): Krishnakant Handiqui
Publisher: Jain Sanskruti Samrakshak Sangh Solapur

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YASASTILAKA AND INDIAN CULTURE
horses of the Sun's chariot, coursing in the sky, play the ball-gume of war for me?' He strikes the Fire by way of offering oblations, as if out of spite, saying: Since it is I who destroy my own refuge or benefactor, and destroy also all and sundry, why dost thou, o wretched Fire assume the names
srcayāsa (one who consumes one's own refuge) and sarvāsa (one who consumes all)?' The worship of the gods by a minister is comparable to
se a bird of prey for killing honest people, like birds, with the idea that not even Brahmā sees through a well-devised trick.' The muttering of prayers by a minister seems to be a device for recalling how many great men he has cheated and how many still remain uncheated. The meditation of a minister is like that of a crane for the purpose of devouring' able men, like fish. The study of the Law Books by him is like that of a thug for the purpose of cheating the wise. His obeisance at the guru's feet looks like the spreading of a network of chains for obstructing the way to heaven. His sweet words, like those of a witch, serve only to rnin his followers, His amiable looks, like the pleasant aspect of the embankment of a dried up pool, bring distress to those who are ignorant of the inner truth."
The more important of the charges against Yasodhara's minister bearing on contemporar conditions have been discussed in another chapter viz., Chap. V. Some of the observations of the spy on the ways of the minister provide interesting reading. The cultural pretensions of the man are severely criticized, his mean tricks exposed, and the secret his fame explained. A healthy feature is the insistence on learning being independent of wealth procured by royal favour:
देव, प्रसादनादनात्मभाविन्योऽपि विभृतयः पतिवरा इव खात् पतितस्यापि जनस्य भवन्ति, न पुनरायुःस्थितय इवानुपासितगुरुकुलस्य यत्नवत्योऽपि सरखत्यः। यतः
नृपकरुणायाः कामं द्रविणकणाः संचरन्ति शरणेषु । नास्वाभिजात्यमेतत् पाण्डित्यं वा नृणां भवति । देव, तच्छ्रन्येऽपि यत् क्वचित् पुंसि नभसि विद्युत इव विद्याविलसितम् , तद्धनस्य घनस्येव माहात्म्यानात्मनः । यतः
विद्यारसविहीनापि धीस्थली विभवातपात् । व्यटीकोक्कोत्तरङ्गेयं भवेन्मुग्धमृगप्रिया ।
। यदपि क्वचित क्वचित् कलासु पयसि पतितस्य तैलबिन्दोरिवान्ताप्तिशून्यस्याप्यस्योपन्याससाहसम, तदपि लक्ष्मीलवलाभाशापाशस्खलितमतिमृगीप्रचारस्य दुर्भरजठरकुठारविनिर्मिनमानसारस्य हताहंकारस्य सरखतीपण्यपातकावसरस्य जनस्याजर्यान पुनर्बोधौदार्यात् । यतो देव, घटदासीनां हि वदनसौरभं खामिताम्बूलोद्गालान सौभाग्यबलात्, पवनस्य हि परिमलपेशलता प्रसूनवनसंसर्गान्न निसर्गात् , दारुणो हि दाहृदारुणता बृहद्भानुभावान्न खभावात् , मण्ड तस्य हि भण्डनकण्डूलताधिपतिसंनिधानवशान शौयावेशात्, उपलशकलस्य हि नमस्यता देवाकारानुभावान्न प्रकृतिभावात् । .........."यत् पुनः सेवकलोकदौरात्म्यं प्रचिख्यापयिषुः किमप्यणकपदबन्धेन भगवती सरस्वती विधमति, तत्र यो हि स्वयमेवं निकायति स कथं नाम दुरात्मा स्यादिति परप्रतारणार्थम् । ... • .....वृत्तं पुनरस्य पिण्याकपण्याङ्गनाजनस्यवालोकान्तोत्सर्गरनेकशोऽनेकपाखण्डिलिङ्गिसंसर्गविसगैरेव राजपथीकृतम् । यतः
त्रैदण्डिकाहितुण्डिककापालिककौशिकव्रतकैः । कीर्तिर्जगति प्रसृता खरपटदीक्षाधिकरस्य ॥ 1 i. e., the worship of the gods by a minister is a carefully planned show of piety,
the real motive being to obtain their help in cheating and ruining honest people.