________________
SUPREME UPRIGHTNESS OR HONESTY
(Uttama Arjava Dharma)
A renowned English poet writes about uprightness:
A man of life upright Whose guiltless heart is free From all dishonest deeds, Or thoughts of vanity.
The Hindi word 'Arjava' is a compound word framed by the addition of the suffix 'anr' with the root 'riju' i.e., riju + anr. The word Arjava means uprightness, straightforwardness, simplicity, frank speaking, honesty, non- hypocrisy, large-heartedness and freedom from deceit.
In 'Baras Anupekha' Acharya Shri Kundkund Swamy has defined the virtue of supreme uprightness or straight-forwardness (Uttama Arjava Dharma) as below:
Motunr kudilabhavam, nrimlhidiyenr charrdi jo samnro ajvdhmam tyio, tas du sambhvdi nriymenr
A Jain saint (Shraman Muni) acts in life with an unblemished heart discarding crooked feelings, and follows a definite moral code of conduct; as a rule he practices uprightness (Arjava Dharma) i.e., the third virtue out of the ten supreme virtues. 'Rijorbhav aarjvam'. Simplicity in ideas is known as straight-forwardness (Arjava). Its opposite is hypocrisy or crookedness. To give up hypocrisy is the supreme virtue of uprightness (Uttama Arjava Dharma). Hypocrisy is a hindrance in life journey. So long this obstacle lurks in a devotee, he cannot fully perform his devotion. If a devotee wants to carry on his life journey in a well planned, simple and unhindered manner, it is essential for him to give up hypocrisy or crookedness. Acharya Gun Bhadra has stated the same thing in 'Atmanushashnam';
Bhayam mayamhagrtanmithyaghanatmomyat Yansmalina na lakshyante krodhadivishmahiya
We should dread the pit of hypocrisy, which is covered with the dense gloom of crookedness or deceitfulness and inside which are concealed fierce snakes in the guise of the evil passions of anger, vanity and deceit. Generally, a deceitful person thinks that the harm caused by his deceitful conduct remains either unknown or unseen. He is mistaken to think so. Just as the moon concealed temporarily by clouds comes to light again and thrills
Create PDF with PDF4U. If you wish to remove this line, please click here to purchase the full version
