जसहरचरिउ में श्रात्मा सम्बन्धी विचार

Summary

The text discusses the concept of the soul (ātman) as presented in the Jain work *Jasaharacariu* by the poet Puṣpadanta. It argues that non-violence (ahiṃsā) is the core of Indian culture and the soul of India, and that literature aligned with this principle, like *Jasaharacariu*, is truly Indian. The work is seen as a powerful inspiration for non-violence, advocating for the right of all beings to a happy life and reflecting a universal, benevolent spirit. The text explains that discussions of the soul are unavoidable for any thinker or writer, especially when addressing violence. While *Jasaharacariu* does not contain a detailed, philosophical analysis of the soul, it implicitly presents a strong understanding of it. The narrative involves King Māridatta, who, influenced by the ascetic Bheravānanda, orders the sacrifice of a human couple to appease the goddess Caṇḍamārī. The chosen couple, a monk and his sister, remain calm and focused on protecting their virtue, which impresses the king and leads him to ask for their story. From this context, the text identifies two levels of souls: worldly souls (saṃsārī ātmā) and liberated souls (mukta ātmā). Worldly souls experience emotions like attachment and aversion, while liberated souls experience eternal, dispassionate bliss. The text further categorizes worldly souls into the outer soul (bahirātma), which is attached to worldly pleasures, and the inner soul (antarātma), which is a seeker of liberation. In *Jasaharacariu*, the Tīrthaṅkaras represent the supreme soul (paramātma), ascetics like Sudatta Muni represent the inner soul, and King Māridatta and Bheravānanda represent the outer soul. The text concludes that the work successfully conveys these three forms of the soul through its narrative, avoiding abstract definitions and focusing on emotional understanding, which is its unique strength.