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Jainism is a practical religion. It is a religion, which can
be practiced while one is engaged in the daily transactions of life
in this world. It helps in everyday affairs of mundane life. It adds
to the success of a businessman, of a man in power and responsible
position, of an artisan, and an artist, and of
a laborer in the street, and of a man who is placed in the
lowest, the dirtiest, and the worst position in life. It is a
religion which cannot only be professed but lived. A Jain, while
professing and practicing Jainism, may well be a victorious king, a
successful statesman, administrator, executive or judicial officer,
a successful factory manager, an inventor, a scientist, a doctor, a
soldier, an engineer, a tradesman, a lawyer, a farmer, a laborer, an
artist.
Apostles of Ahimsâ have been rulers of vast territories,
have fought battles, have vanquished armies, and have founded
empires. They have awarded merited punishment to murderers, robbers,
ravishers, thieves, swindlers, and criminals of sorts. The land in
their charge used to be proverbially fertile, and the people happy
and prosperous.
According
to the Jaina scripture known as Padma Purâna, Shri Râm
Chandra, the hero of the Râmŕyana, attained Moksa or Nirvŕna,
became a worshipful Arhat and is a worship able Siddha, because of
having followed the discipline of a saint, and having thereby got
rid of all Karmic contact, although he killed many men in his
encounter with Râvana, the king of Ceylon, and in other skirmishes.
Such killing was Himsâ, but the Karmic contamination was not deep
because of absence of malice, and such as there was, was neutralized
by austerities, control of speech and action, meditation and
concentration of mind.
The five Pândava brothers who were the victorious heroes of
the greatest war of epic India, a war which caused the destruction
of the flower of Indian
chivalry counted in millions, were also good Jaina rulers of
territories. They adopted the vows of sainthood, and after server
austerities and deep meditation attained the highest and purest
point of soul purity the Divinity.
Emperor Chandra Gupta Maurya was a good Jain monarch of
historical times. He sat on the Magadha throne in 322 B.C. and
conquered the North-west country up to the Hindukush. His
territories extended up to Kathiawar in the west, and included the
Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Behâr. He also adopted the vows of a Jain
saint at the feet of Bhadra Bâhu Swâmi and performed austerities
of the order. This is proved to demonstration by the rock
inscriptions as Sravana Belgola in Mysore.
Châmunda Râya was a brave general and a great minister of
the Jaina king, Râyamlla, who reigned in the tenth century and
belonged to the Ganga dynasty. He took the vows of a layman from the
Great Saint Ajitsena. The beautiful temple at Chandragiri, Sravana
Belgola, district Hasan, Mysore, was constructed by him.
King Kharvel of the dynasty of Mahâ-Megha-Vâhan was
also a good Jain monarch, who ascended the throne in his 16th
year. His victories and his charities are recorded in the rock
inscription of Hathi Guphâ near Bhuvaneshwar, in Orissa.
The Parmâr and
Solanki Rajputa of Osia, near Jodhpur were converted to Jainism some
2,300 year ago. Maharaj Kumârpâla of Anhilpur, Patan-Gujrat, was also
a Jain monarch, a devout disciple of Shri Hem Chandra Âchârya. His
territories extended up to Kolhapur in the south, Kashmir in the
north, Magadha in the east and Sindh in the west. In Pŕtan, the
capital of his kindgom, there were 1800 multi-millionaires. He was
not only learned and bountiful, but led a controlled and regulated
life. After the queen’s death, he did not marry again and observed
the vows of sexual purity. The Jain temples at Târanga Hill were
built by him. He ruled 1143 to 117 A.D. having ascended the throne at the age of 50. He gave one crore of
rupees annually to alleviate the distress of poverty-stricken
people. In recognition of his exemplary personal merit of character
he was given titles by his subjects, such as “Brother to the wives of others, “the
Giver of life,” “All-round thinker,
“Uplifter of the fallen”, “Saint-king”.
The Bhandârĩs of Jodhpur who trace their descent from
the Chouhân Rajputs of Ajmere were converted to Jainism in 992 by
Yashobhadra Sűri. They were learned scholars, wise administrators
and brave soldiers, loyal to the Jodhpur Raj. Raja Amogh Varsha, of Malkhed, in the territory of Hyderabad,
Deccan, ruled from 815 to 877, and then adopted the vows of a Jaina
saint. Bachhrâj, the founder of the Bucchâwat clan, who came with
Rao Bikâji and helped in establishing the kingdom of Bikaner in
1488, was a Jain Rajput.
Ahimsâ in its full significance has been realizes, realized,
preached, and practised only by and in the Jaina religion. Jainism
is synonymous with Ahimsâ. It is Ahimsâ Dharma, the religion of
Ahimsâ. “Ahimsâ Paramo Dharmah” Ahimsâ is the highest
religion is emblazoned on the banner of Jainism. Its Philosophy and
conduct are broad-based on the solid foundation of Ahimsâ, which
has throughout and consistently been followed to its logical
conclusion. It is the first and foremost of the five vows, which a Right
Believer on the path of Right Conduct follows. The other four are
abstention from falsehood, intercourse, and from possession of
temporalities.
The five vows are followed in the completes form, and to their
fullest extent, by saints, viz., persons who have cut off all
connection with temporal objects, have adopted asceticism, and are
ever engaged in austerities, study, discourse, contemplation,
meditation, and self-realization. They are followed in a lesser degree, and to an extent varying
with his spiritual advancement, by every Right Believer who has
entered upon the path of liberation.
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