Prologue

 

Here some one may say that 'Well, such objective (purpose) gets fulfilled by them, but "that by which the sensual pleasure evolves and misery ends" - such objective is also achieved by them or not?

 

Answer: The ingenuous instincts of the form of invocation etc.  towards Arhantas, etc., cause the bondage of Sata, etc., pleasure-producing type of Aghati (non-obscuring) karmas and if those instincts are powerful, then they reduce the Asata, etc., misery producing type of karmas bonded in the past, or by destroying, converts them into Punya - the pleasure producing type of karmas and on rise of that Punya (auspicious karma) the objects causing sensual pleasure become available on their own, and on removal of the rise of Papa (inauspicious Karma) the objects causing misery vanish automatically.

 

In this way this purpose is also attained through them.  Or Devas (celestial beings) who are devotees of Jina- Shasana (Omniscient rule), they make the objects of sensual- pleasure available to that devotee and remove the objects of misery. In this way also this purpose is attained through those Arhantas, etc., But by this purpose no good of the self (soul) takes place, because due to passion emotions the soul makes conjectures of happiness-unhappiness by considering the external objects good or bad. Without passions, the external objects do not cause any pleasure or pain. And all passions are full of misery, therefore, desiring for sensual pleasures and fearing from miseries is nothing but fallacy.

 

Further, for this purpose, even adoring Arhantas, etc., being intense passion, causes bondage of inauspicious karmas (Papa- Bandha); soliciting this purpose is not desirable for us. By adoration of Arhantas, etc., such purposes are automatically accomplished.

 

Thus Arhantas, etc., are Parameshta (the utmost beneficial) for us. Further, those Arhantas, etc., only are the supreme auspice- Mangala and having adoration (invocation) feeling in them causes great auspice. Mang means happiness, lati means bestows. Or Mam means sins Galyati means melts away; that is called Mangala (auspice). Thus, as mentioned above, both purposes are accomplished by them, therefore, supreme auspiciousness is possible in them.

 

Purpose of Observing Benediction

(Mangalaacharan )

 

 Here someone can ask "What is the purpose of benediction right in the beginning of the book?"

 

Answer: Completing the book happily without any disturbance due to rise of evil (Papa) karmas is the object of performing benediction Mangalaacharan in the beginning.

 

Question : The people of other faiths who do not make obeisance like this, in their case also, the completion of book and non-occurrence of disturbance is seen, how is it so?

 

Answer: The people of other faiths who write books, they, due to rise of intense delusion, keep self-contradictory words and meanings in them which nourish the erroneous faith and passion instincts; hence its completion without disturbance is possible even without such obeisance. If by such obeisance delusion becomes feeble, how would then such contradictory work be accomplished?  And I am also writing this book; by virtue of feeble-passion, I will keep (write) in it the words nourishing the passionless science of Tattvas (essential- principles); its disturbanceless completion is possible only by performing such an obeisance. If such an obeisance is not done then the intensity of delusion will persist; how would then such noble act be possible?

 

Further, he says "well this is acceptable but he who does not perform such obeisance, is also seen to be happy, the rise of sinfull karmas is not seen and someone who performs such obeisance in him also happiness is not seen, rather the rise of sinful karmas is found; therefore, how is the aforesaid auspiciousness possible?

 

The cruel (intense) and ingenuous (mild) instincts of Jivas are of many types. The karmas bounded by them in the past in different times rise at one time. Therefore, for example, one who had accumulated lot of wealth in the past is found possessing wealth without earning and is not seen in debt and the one who had taken lot of debt in the past is found indebted even while earning wealth and wealth is not seen, but on thinking one finds that earning is always the cause of wealth only and not of debt. Similarly, the one who had bounded lot of auspicious karmas in the past, he is seen possessed of happiness even without performing such obeisance and the rise of sinful karmas is not seen and the one who had bounded lot of sinful karmas in the past he is not seen possessed of happiness even after performing such obeisance and the rise of sinful karmas is seen but on thinking one finds that performing of such obeisance is assuredly the cause of happiness and not of the rise of sinful karmas. Thus the auspiciousness of aforesaid obeisance is established.

 

 Again he says, "this too is accepted; but why the Devas (celestial beings) who are the devotees of Jina-Shasana (omniscients-rule) did not help the one who observed the obeisance and did not punish the one who did not observe the obeisance?

 

Answer: The predominating factor of Jivas getting pleasure and pain is the rise of their own karmas; according to that only the external instrumental causes are met with, so the one whose sinful karmas are in rise (operative state) does not get help-rendering cause and the one whose pious (auspicious) karmas are in rise (operative state) does not get the punishment rendering cause.

 

How such instrumental cause is not met with, is being explained:

 

The Devas (celestial beings) can not know everything simultaneously due to Kshayopashama Jnan (destruction cum subsidence type of knowledge) hence knowing of the person observing obeisance and the one not observing obeisance takes place rarely to some celestial being etc; so if they do not know them, how could they help or punish? And if they know them then if their (Devas) passion be extremely feeble, then the instinct of helping or punishing does not arise and if the passion be intense then religious feeling can not arise and if the passion for involvement in such act be of average degrees and one may not have power then what can he do? In this way, the instrumental cause of rendering help or giving punishment does not materialize.

 

If one has capacity and due to rise of passion of average order has compassionate feeling also and in such states he should also be knowing pious-impious form of duty towards other Jiva then some celestial being etc, helps some pious fellow - or punishes some impious fellow. Thus there is no set rule for such action.

 

It is to be understood here that the desire of being happy, not being miserable, seeking help, creating trouble - all that is full of passion, is painful instantly as well as in future; therefore, discarding such desire and being aspirant of passionless-science only, I have observed obeisance to Arhantas etc. in the form of invocation etc.

 

 Authenticity of This Book and Scriptural Tradition

 

After such obeisance, the meaningful book named Moksha Marg Prakashak is being written. There, for proving and establishing the fact that 'this book is authentic', the old tradition is being followed and explained thus:

 

 'A' etc, alphabetic letters are eternal and not created by any body. Writing of their shapes is of many types as per one's will but the spoken alphabets are always found used alike everywhere.  Therefore, it is said...  The meaning of this is that the group (tradition) of alphabets is self- existent and created from those alphabets are the words which render true meaning (of the objects), the name of their group is the Shruta (scripture), so that also is eternal.  As Jiva -this is an eternal word, it indicates the Jiva (the soul substance). Thus there are various words capable of rendering their own true meanings; the group of those words is to be known as Shruta (scripture). Further, as the pearls are self-existent, out of those someone taking a few pearls, someone taking many pearls produces the ornaments by arranging them in the way he likes.  Similarly, the words are self-existent, out of those someone taking a few words, someone taking many words produces the book by arranging them in the way he likes.  Here I am also going to create a book by arranging those words conveying true meanings as per my knowledge. I am not going to keep in this book the words conveying false meaning imagined by me.  Hence, this book is authentic.

 

Question: How does the tradition of those words exist up to the creation of this book?

 

Answer: Since eternity Kevali Tirthankaras are being found; they know each and every thing; hence they know those words and their meaning also. Further through Divya Dhwani (revelation) of those omniscient Tirthankaras such discourses are found by virtue of which other Jivas (capable souls) attain the knowledge of words and their meanings; according to that Gandhara-Devas (Head Acharyas monks) create the Granthas (sacred books) in the form of Anga-Prakeernakas and according to those books other Acharyas prepare various types of books. Some people study them, some narrate them, some listen to them. Thus, the traditional path continues.

 

 Now in this Bharat-Kshetra presently the Auasarpini-Kala is prevailing. During this time 24 Tirthankaras were born; amongst them Shri Wardhamana Swami was the last Tirthankara. He being omniscient, preached Jivas (all living beings) through the medium of Divya-Dhwani (divine-speech). Through the instrumentality of the opportunity of listening to it, the Ganadhara Acharya named Gautam having known its subtle and intricate meaning composed the Anga-Prakeernakas (Sacred books) out of compassionate feeling.  Thereafter, Vardhamana Swami attained salvation. After some time in this fifth era, three Kevalis (omniscients) were found: (1) Gautam (2) SudharmaAcharya (3) JambuSwami. Thereafter, due to bad times, occurrence of omniscients stopped, but for some time Shruta- Kevalis (the knowers of all 12 Angas, i.e. complete scripture) were available and thereafter their-availability also came to an end.  Further for some time more the knowers of a few Angas only were found. Later on their availability too came to an end. Thereafter, the Acharyas wrote scriptures (sacred books) on the basis of scriptures written by Anga- knowers. In this tradition more scriptures were written and their prevalence continued. In them also, due to bad times, many books (Granthas) were destroyed by wicked persons and due to discontinuance of study, the important books (Granthas) were lost, but some of the great Granthas are still found; because of feeble knowledge their study became difficult. For example, in south India near Gommatta Swami (Shravanbelgola) in Moodbidri town (near Mangalore) the Dhawala, Mahadhawala, Jai Dhawala, etc.  Granthas are existing but are available for adoration (Darshan) only. However, many other Granthas which are still available, are within the reach of our knowledge for study but amongst them too only a few Granthas are being studied. Thus, in these bad times the highest Jaina religion underwent the state of downfall, but through this tradition even now in Jaina- Shastras (sacred books of Jains) the existence of words conveying true meaning is continuing.