7. Description of Religious beliefs

People seem to have had a faith in the existence of various types of supernatural beings like gods, demons, Vidyadharas, Siddhas, Yatus, Bhutas, Vetalas and etc., who were believed to be taking interest in the affairs of 106 human beings. The Siddhas and the Vidyadharas had mastered superhuman mystic powers and could fly at will in the sky. The Jain saints like the Vidyadhara Muni and Jagantaswami were believed to have attained the supernatural knowledge 108 transcending the limits of time and space. Gods and Yaksas utilized their divine powers in 105. Thise aspects are specially emphasized by authors like Haribhadrasuri, Somadevasuri,and Udyotanasuri and Siddharsi in their religious romances. 106. cf.Tl(N),p.194 (11ff.) - bho bho manusyaloke viharinom divyah, vidhaya nugraham srunuta saparigrahastha mem vijnapanam| yena ke nacidbharatakula paksapatina devena vam daityena vam vidyadharana vaॉrdanyena va divyaloka nivasina antari 107. cf.ibid., p.33(15ff.)-3245942. - ; 153(10ff.). 108. cf.ibid., p. 406 (6)-- acissam jata kalatritaya gocara jnana labha-- maharsim-- ; 407 (17££ . ) .. manisitarthamavedayantam jayantasvamisamjna sarvajnam- 1

621 helping and guiding people on to the right religious path, while some of the Yaksas helped distressed people and guarded the holy temples of the Tirthankaras from aerial transgression, or defiling of them, at the hands of careless 109 supernatural, and desperate human, beings.' They could also create illusions for testing the valour of the worshippers, and could read the unexpressed thoughts of others.111 Gods and goddesses were believed to possess a divine form which was normally invisible to human beings, though they could be seen by the Yogis and by the highly meritorious persons through the special grace of the family 112. deity. It was a strong popular belief that such divine beings would become visible and also disappear all of a sudden and their vision (darsana) would never go unrewarded. 113 deyo divyasaktyanu rodhena sugatisadhanesu dharma- ; 410(9ff.). pradhanabhuto matpratiharanam mahodari nama aksa yaksa samtya bhasa mida mane kaprakaramatmi yatha divyasaktaya 109. cf. TM(N),p.42(lff.) karyesu samvisesa bhupadesah | 110. ibid., p.56(12ff.) esah | pariksitu-manena --- vinirmita mayajalamakhilamapi te pradarsitam | lll. cf. ibid.,p.51(18ff.). 112. ibid.,p.45(6) dharmaca ksu go carana manavana -- tasya saksannijadivyarupaviska ranena ; 55(18ff.) -- adarsaniya manyesa malyapunyana divyamatmiya-rupam- -- ; 45 (17££.) bhagavati, tvaccaranaravindadarsananubhavo 'yam yada sbha drsamapi manusyamatranam vasavasamanom- jaso vaimanikah yogi jnanago para matmano rupa madhyani sarya kurvanti ...1 - jhagiti dattadarsanam - -- - 113. ibid.,p.46(13) ; 54(4) - jhagiti datta- darsanam-- ; 45 (12) - devo 'pyalaksita gatistasthi naiva ksana jhagitya darsanama- gatr--- · ; 61 ( 17 ) -- jhagityadarsana magat ; 44 (2) --- divyadarsana- manodha miti ghosana janasya la

622 The supreme power of the Siddhas or Tirthankaras was such that even the divine beings like the Vidyadharas scrupulously avoided to cross over their temples as they were afraid of incurring curse or losing their super- 114 2 natural powers in that case. The Yatus used to be on the look out for the loopholes in the religious conduct of the people and frightened or deceived them. 115 The Vetalas and the Bhutas regaled on the night of 116 the fourteenth day of the dark half of a month. On that night the Vetalas used to offer Tarpana to their Pitrs 117 with blood poured from a bowl of human skull. The head of a king who had never suffered a defeat, had never disappointed the beggars, had never bowed down to his enemies, was regarded by the Vetala as very auspicious for getting 118 the skull for a bowl. People sometimes worshipped the Vetala in order to influence the goddess from whom they so- 119. licited boons; but the Vetala was supposed to get angry 114. TM(N),p.239(22ff.). yatanani -- 1 115. cf.ibido, p.376 (9ff.) anena samvativigraha cchidranyapi patalabhita vidyadha ra sanca parihata lancanani siddha sasvadavalokita- ya dmavarjinairasrbhih punyasu na jatucicchalayanti yamtuni 116. ibid., p.24(7) -- asita paksa caturddasimita sarvabhutananda kariniya- astipaksa arthaya mem 117. ibid.,p.51(l 1ff.) kapalakappara krsna caturdasisah- janayituh muhurmuhuh karomi tarpanam 118. ibid.,p.51(8ff.). 119. cf.ibza., 49 (17) -- mitrakrिte hi marca satha kanamabhista siddhih cf.ibid.,49(17) 1

623 at such Sadhakas as they tried to coerce the goddess, and he devoured them alive if they failed to kill the victim 120, h amimal by a stroke of the sword. The Butas were the nocturnals and and their staple food was the flesh of beings 121 killed by them. To be born was itself considered as a source of all misergies as painful as consignment to a hell. 122 The transmigratory world was compared to an unfathomable well or a 123 boundless ocean, ruled supreme. But there were holy places like Ganga and Siddha-ksetras like Sakravatara and temples of the Tirthankaras on the mountains and in the midst of the oceans; a visit to such holy places served to purify them and earned 124 profuse special merit to the devout beings. The holy water of the river Ganga was believed to possess magico-medicimal effect of inducing life into the inanimate beings. wherein the Law of Karma and Rebirth 120. TM (N), p.51 (411.) -- yadi va'nye'pi 125 bahubah ksudrasadhakah samprati khali- samprati tatpraptih 'kartumudyatah svaminim | tadiya dehavayavesveva siddhah krpanaghatasya vetala sadhakasya ; 47 (15££.) -- dattanih phala- ki kasopadesa ma antam--- I 121. cf.ibid., 51 (1ff.) - ksapacara khalu vayam | vyaghranamivasmakama- priya bhuja vikramopa ki tama mitra maharah --- 122. ibid.,p.42(14) akarita duhkha samhatih --- garbhavasa naraka gatih | ; 147(20) 123. ibid,p.24 ( 16 ) - bhava kupa nipati ta pranisarthah (16) adrsya pare bhagavatyakupare 1 124. ibid.,p.26(8); 137(12); 413(17). 125. ibid.p. 371 (4ff.) -- gan yadi tirthajala ksalanapanita sthavaravasthabhih-- 1 =

624 126 The Jains believed in a number of eternal images of the Siddhas established since time immemorial. Worship of various gods and of the Tirthankaras qualified one for a long stretch of enjoyments in the heavens; however, such 127 enjoyments did come to an end after all. When the duration of their heavenly sojourn drew near, various indicatory signs appeared and the gods were reminded of the miseries of human existence. The Jains firmly believed that one who takes to Jainism and imbibes the right knowledge of the philosophical categories, and, coupled with right conduct, worships the eternal images of the Tirthankaras in the course of bne's numerous births in different continents of the world, would at last get his final birth (carama-deha-prapti) of a supreme monarch of supernatural beings and, having enjoyed to his heart's content, he would 128 attain to the Highest Beatitude. People in general had great faith in the magic power of jewels, mystic formulae and medicinal herbs, all of 129 which were supposed to enhance one's personality. The 126. TM(N), p.235(8ff.) anaida yugina manusya kalpitabhih kalpantara-- ... sthayinibhih prasiddha siddha prati mabhih --- 127. ibid...,p.220 (13) ; 42(2)- alpavasesa tridasaloka sthitih 128. ibid., p.40(20ff.); 41(23ff.). Paczni 449 zimni divyaloka cyavana sulabha hrd ye'sya daikarinyarati vedana | ; 42 (121£) - kodi krtam manusya- 42(12ff.)sign lokavatara smaranapidaya nividamantah karanana 407 (5)-- ksina divyayusca niscitya lin gaisyavanamatmanah --- 1 129. 1b 1d., p.14 ( 311 ) -- sarvamani mantrausadhairivo pabrmhita prabhavah ... noftra: This was a very common belief found even in the works on Ayurveda; cf.Ratnavali of Harsa also.

625 divine Candratapa necklace is said to have been capable of warding off all the misfortune by its very presence. 130 The Balaruna ring could immobilize an advancing army in a 131 pitched Battle. Similarly, the divine mantle of Tilakamanjari was supposed to be a powerful antidote against poison, an edge of a weapon, deadly fevers and hopeless curses. Not only that, such divine ornaments could be instrumental in rousing the memories of the past births. 133 Divine ornaments were not supposed to be worn by human beings, instead it was but proper that they should be offered to divine beings. The Sadhana of a magic formulae handed over by a long tradition of preceptors, and connected with the principal deity was, if successfully propitiated by men of uncommon qualities, capable of enhancing the valour of the 135 person. Great magicians (maha-narendra) were believed to be 136 capable of controlling deadly serpents. The frog-jewel 130. TM(N),p.43(3ff.) asatti matrenapi krtaduritapaharah 131. ibid., p.92-93. 132. ibid.,p.376(8ff.). 133. ibid.,p.44 (18ff.) darsanabhyasa jata purva jati smrtisva smarati 404(23¤£.); 410 (22ff.) ..divyanija hara darsana dupajata purva jati smrtih --- . 1 134. ibid.,p.46 (1) - divya hi murttayo bhajanam divyabharananam| 135. ibid., p.398(15ff.). 136. ibid.,p.78(14).

} 626 (manduka-mani) could protect one from the stings of amphibious insects; and the juice extracted from the blue (nili) was considered auspicious and capable of warding off 138 mishaps during the journey Various marks on palms and soles, such as lotus, jar, parasol, and etc., indicated the 139. future attainment of regal powers. 'Juicy sprouts right on the trunk of a tree betrayed the buried treasures below 140 it. The saints commanded great respect in view of their highly austere way of living beset with physical sufferings 141It was held to be a duty and hardships of forest life. of a Yati to guide the householders (grhastha) in his performance of worldly duties leading him to renunciation in old age. 142. Worship of a deity was deemed potent enough to 143 ensure progeny. Qualities like purity, truthfulness, and pious deeds like donations or alms were commendable, while acts like 144 cutting off a branch of a tree was considered secrilegious. 137. TM(N),p.146(8ff.). 138. ibid., p.125(18ff.). 139. ibid., p.6(3); 245(12ff.). 140. ibid., p.235(14). 141. ibia, p. 30 (712.3 --- arpaya samastasyapi vanavasocita sya klesasya- cham | asrikuru muni vrata kriyam | 142. ibid.,p.33(2ff.). 143. ibid., p.29(1-2); 29(5ff.). 144. ibid., p.63(4); 63(5); 290(22); 15(13).

627 Grief of separation was calculated to inspire one to do good works in order Im/ [to reap good results in future. 145 Love was believed to last beyond the present life and endure till numerous births and it was possible that one may be united with one's beloved in future births. A young girl, when united with a lover of her choice, believed it more due to the merit accumulated through numerous past births, penances performed for thousands of years, and blessings showered by divine 147 beings, rather than by mere accident. Mothers aspired to bear sons capable of growing into unrivalled brave warriors. 148 It seems, in actual practice and day-to-day life, people gave more importance to worldly wealth in disregard to good qualities.