Vijyanandsuri Swargarohan Shatabdi Granth

Author(s): Navinchandra Vijaymuni, Ramanlal C Shah, Shripal Jain
Publisher: Vijayanand Suri Sahitya Prakashan Foundation Pavagadh

Page 888

honourable guests attending the marriage ceremony. On knowing this, Neminath ordered an immediate release of the animals and leaving the marriage procession headed towards the Jungle and became an ascetic. Pictures of this folklore are commonly available in the Jaina households. Such legends in different forms are available in plenty in the Jaina literature in respect of other Tirthankaras also.
In Jaina literature, with a view to infinence the followers of Jainism, the consequences of committing Himsa have also been depicted as the doer undergoing severe penalties in the subsequent cycle of birth and rebirth in different forms. Such fables include such ordinary householders also who indulge in the trade of egg selling, animal butchering and fish catching. As opposed to this, there are such stories as well in the Jaina literature in which Himsa was considered necessary for protecting the party of monks resting in a forest from the lion or attacking a kindgom for protecting the honour of a Jaina 'Sadhavi' (Nun) or a household lady from the forcible abduction by a lustful person. This literature gives out a message of rational and practical application of the concept of Ahimsa in the real life of a Jaina householder. This is how the general attitude of the Jainas towards the other human beings, animals, birds and even vegetable kingdom has been evolved through the centuries of metaphysical belief and practice in real life.
V - CONCLUSION
The above brief discussion leads us to arrive at this fact that the Jaina attitude towards all living beings is that of conservation and not of consumption. It aims at protecting and preserving them rather than destroying them for their own use. One of the five great vows propounded by Lord Mahavira is non-acquisition (Aparigraha). This vow helps the Jainas in restricting their desires for acquiring physical assets. In this way it also helps them not only in not killing the animals for their use but also preserving the vegetation and mineral resources for the mankind. Thus the Jaina attitude goes a long way in preserving the ecological balance of nature as inherited by mankind. Spiritually also the Jainas believe that violence (Himsa) in any form degenerates the soul whereas the non-violence (ahimsa) elevates it and ultimately paves the path of salvation (Moksha) for the follower.
Jaina Attiiude To Animal World: Impact On Social Life In India
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