Kalyan Mandir - Book Summary | JainGPT

This document is a Gujarati book titled "Kalyan Mandir" (Book of Auspiciousness/Salvation), authored by Chandrashekharvijay, and published by Kamal Prakashan. The book is described as being based on the "Kalyan Mandir Stotra" composed by the great poet Siddhasen Divakar Suri.

Here's a summary of the content based on the provided pages:

Overall Purpose and Context:

The book is a commentary and detailed explanation of the "Kalyan Mandir Stotra."
It includes the Sanskrit verses, their Anvay (syntactical arrangement), Parichay (introduction/explanation of terms), Arth (meaning), Samas (grammatical compound analysis), and Bhavarth (deeper philosophical meaning).
The commentary is provided by Pujya Pandit Chandrashekharvijayji Maharaj Saheb.
The book seems to be part of a series called "Sanskrit Vyakaran Prakashan Shreni Pushp-3."
It is published by Kamal Prakashan Trust, Ahmedabad.

Key Themes and Content (Based on the Stotra verses):

The provided pages cover the initial verses of the Kalyan Mandir Stotra, where the poet, Siddhasen Divakar Suri, humbly addresses the Tirthankar (Jina). The central theme revolves around the poet's profound humility and inability to adequately praise the Tirthankar's infinite virtues. He uses various analogies and rhetorical questions to express this limitation:

Verse 1-2: The poet acknowledges the Tirthankar's lotus feet as the abode of auspiciousness, generous, destroyer of sins, giver of fearlessness to the fearful, and a boat for beings drowning in the ocean of worldly existence. He states that even the learned guru Brihaspati (Jupiter) cannot fully describe the Tirthankar's glory. The poet feels compelled to offer his praise despite this overwhelming grandeur.
Verse 3: The poet questions how ordinary beings like himself can describe the Tirthankar's nature. He compares this to a child of an owl, who is blind in the day, trying to describe the sun. This highlights the inadequacy of human perception to grasp divine attributes.
Verse 4: Even a mortal who has experienced the cessation of delusion (Mohakshaya) cannot count the Tirthankar's qualities. This is compared to the inability to count a pile of gems revealed when the ocean's water dries up at the end of an era.
Verse 5: The poet, despite his "dull intellect," endeavors to praise the Tirthankar, who is an ocean of countless luminous qualities. He likens this to a child stretching his hands to describe the ocean's vastness, suggesting that even an imperfect attempt at praise is meaningful.
Verse 6: The poet admits that the Tirthankar's qualities are beyond the grasp of even great yogis. He considers his attempt to praise them as a thoughtless act, but then defends it by saying that even birds chirp in their own way, implying that he will offer his praise according to his limited capacity.
Verse 7: The poet states that even the Tirthankar's name is capable of saving the three worlds from worldly existence, let alone His praise. He compares this to a gentle breeze from a lotus pond bringing pleasure to a traveler suffering from the summer heat.
Verse 8: When the Tirthankar resides in the heart, even dense karmic bonds are loosened. This is compared to snakes (which bind trees) fleeing from the presence of a peacock.
Verse 9: Just as animals flee from a shepherd or a lord when danger approaches (represented by thieves), humans are quickly freed from terrible calamities by merely beholding the Tirthankar.
Verse 10: The poet questions how the Tirthankar can be called a savior if it is the devotees themselves who carry Him in their hearts to cross the ocean of existence. He then resolves this by comparing it to a leather bag (dheeti) floating on water, attributing the ability to float to the air within it, suggesting the Tirthankar's grace is like that inner air for the devotees.
Verse 11: The poet marvels at how the Tirthankar, whom even Shiva (Har) and other gods could not fully overcome (in the context of Kama, the god of love), was so easily able to overcome Kama. He then uses the analogy of fire being extinguished by water, but a powerful undersea fire (Vadavanala) consuming the water itself, to explain the Tirthankar's supreme power.
Verse 12: The poet wonders how devotees, carrying the weighty Tirthankar in their hearts, can easily cross the ocean of birth. He concludes that the influence of great beings is indeed unfathomable.
Verse 13: The poet questions how the Tirthankar, having first conquered anger, could then conquer karmic enemies. He resolves this by comparing it to how cold frost can burn forests, implying that non-anger (forgiveness) can also be a powerful force.
Verse 14: Yogis constantly seek the Tirthankar within the lotus of their hearts. The poet likens this to finding the essence of a lotus within its seed, which is located within the lotus stalk.
Verse 15: Like metals being refined by intense fire to become pure gold, devotees, through the Tirthankar's meditation, shed their bodies and attain the state of the Supreme Soul instantly.
Verse 16: The poet questions how the Tirthankar, who is meditated upon within the body, can then destroy the body. He resolves this by suggesting that influential mediators resolve conflicts, implying the Tirthankar, residing within, dissolves the bonds of the body.
Verse 17: The poet wonders how by contemplating the soul as identical to the Tirthankar, the soul gains the Tirthankar's qualities. He resolves this by comparing it to how water, repeatedly thought of as nectar, can counteract poison.
Verse 18: The poet observes that even non-Jains who follow other deities (like Vishnu or Shiva) recognize the Tirthankar as free from darkness. He then asks if a white conch shell, perceived differently by someone with jaundice, does not still remain a conch shell, implying that false perceptions do not alter the ultimate reality of the Tirthankar.
Verse 19: During the Tirthankar's sermon, the very presence makes even trees become "Ashoka" (sorrowless). He then compares this to how the rising sun awakens the entire world, including trees.
Verse 20: The poet expresses astonishment that the divine shower of flowers always falls with their stems pointing downwards. He resolves this by stating that for wise beings (sumanas), their bonds (like the flower's stem) are naturally lowered towards the Tirthankar's presence.
Verse 21: The poet states that it is fitting for the Tirthankar's words, originating from a profound heart-ocean, to be called nectar, as those who "drink" them attain supreme joy and immortality.
Verse 22: The poet imagines that the pure streams of divine whisks (chamara), bowing deeply, declare that those who bow to the Tirthankar, the greatest among sages, will surely attain pure states and ascend upwards.
Verse 23: Devotees, like peacocks, gaze with eagerness at the Tirthankar, who sits on a golden throne, speaks profound words, and is dark-complexioned, akin to a new rain cloud on a golden mountain's peak.
Verse 24: The Tirthankar's radiant, dark aura makes the Ashoka tree lose its colorful leaves. The poet then asks if, in the presence of the Tirthankar, anything alive doesn't become free from attachment (niragta).
Verse 25: The poet believes the Tirthankar's divine drumbeat resounds throughout the three worlds, announcing: "O people, abandon negligence, come to this abode of liberation, and worship the Tirthankar, who is like a caravan leader guiding you there."
Verse 26: With the Tirthankar's light illuminating the worlds, the moon, though adorned with stars, loses its authority. It then appears disguised as three umbrellas made of pearl clusters, presenting itself to the Tirthankar.
Verse 27: The Tirthankar shines forth, surrounded by three forts made of jewels, gold, and silver, which are described as embodiments of His accumulated radiance, might, and fame that filled the three worlds.
Verse 28: The poet states that the Tirthankar's feet are worshipped by even the greatest gods who discard their jeweled crowns. Similarly, wise beings, having attained the Tirthankar's presence, find no other joy.
Verse 29: The poet expresses surprise that the Tirthankar, who is detached from worldly existence, still guides beings from the ocean of birth. He compares this to a clay pot, which is impervious to water, carrying those attached to its back, and wonders how this is possible since the Tirthankar is free from the results of karma.
Verse 30: The poet questions how the Tirthankar, the Lord of the universe, can be considered poor, or how being the essence of letters, He can be without script. He further wonders how knowledge, the cause of universal development, can reside within Him despite His lack of ignorance.
Verse 31: The poet states that the dust kicked up by the deceitful tortoise (Kambha) to cover the sky did not even harm the Tirthankar's shadow. Instead, the tortoise, filled with lost hope, became engulfed by that very dust (karma).
Verse 32: The poet describes the torrential rain unleashed by the demon (Kambha), with roaring clouds, terrifying lightning, and thick streams, stating that this rain itself became the demon's own terrible sword.
Verse 33: The poet describes the ghastly form of the demon (Kambha) with disheveled hair, a necklace of human skulls, and fire emanating from its frightening mouth. This demonic entity, sent towards the Tirthankar, ultimately became the cause of the demon's own suffering in countless births.
Verse 34: The poet praises those devotees who worship the Tirthankar's feet with devotion, experiencing spiritual ecstasy (purification of the body) at dawn, noon, and dusk, dedicating themselves to this worship.
Verse 35: The poet expresses that in the vast ocean of existence, he feels he has never truly heard the Tirthankar's name. However, he reasons that if he had truly heard the sacred mantra of the Tirthankar's name, then the serpent of calamity would not approach him.
Verse 36: The poet laments that perhaps in past lives, he did not worship the Tirthankar's feet, which are adept at granting desires. Because of this, in this life, he has become a victim of unbearable insults and sorrows.
Verse 37: The poet confesses that in the past, he was blinded by the darkness of delusion and never truly saw the Tirthankar. He questions how else he could be afflicted by painful, intrusive troubles if this were not the case.
Verse 38: The poet admits that even though he has heard, honored, and seen the Tirthankar, he has not truly held Him in his heart with devotion. Therefore, he has become a vessel of sorrow, as actions without true feeling yield no results.
Verse 39: The poet implores the Tirthankar, who is compassionate to the suffering, the refuge, the abode of mercy and merit, the best among yogis, and the great lord, to show mercy and quickly uproot the sprouting seeds of his sorrows.
Verse 40: The poet, who has found refuge in the Tirthankar, the savior of the universe, the one who has defeated enemies and is renowned for His pure radiance, laments that if, despite reaching His lotus feet, he is devoid of deep contemplation, he is truly worthy of being destroyed.
Verse 41: The poet calls upon the Tirthankar, worshipped by Indra, the knower of all truths, the savior of the world, the Lord of the universe, the ocean of compassion, and the divine being, to protect him from the ocean of frightening calamities and to purify him.
Verse 42: The poet expresses his hope that if his lifelong devotion to the Tirthankar's lotus feet has any merit, then he prays that the Tirthankar, the refuge, will be his lord not only in this world but in future lives as well.
Verse 43-44: These verses describe the fortunate beings who, with focused minds, their bodies thrilled with devotion, their attention fixed on the Tirthankar's pure face, worship Him according to tradition. These beings, having shed their impurities and enjoyed celestial wealth, will soon attain liberation.

Ancillary Content:

Pages 2-3: Advertisements for "Tapovan Sanskarpeeth," an educational institution focusing on imparting good values and higher education to children. It highlights the need for children to receive proper upbringing, respect elders, and become devotees of God and gurus. It invites parents to admit their children for three years.
Page 4: Publisher's details, publication date, price, and printer information. It also includes a request for sadhus and sadhvies to send the donation for the book from their "Gyan Khata" (account for knowledge).
Pages 53-58: Extensive promotional material for Pujya Pandit Chandrashekhar Vijayji Maharaj Saheb's books, emphasizing their usefulness for spiritual and worldly guidance. It also details the offerings and curriculum of the Tapovan Sanskarpeeth, encouraging parents to enroll their children for character building and holistic education, in contrast to convent schools.
Page 58: An announcement about youth and Tapovan students being ready to conduct Paryushan festival observances, inviting Jain communities to invite them if Jain monks and nuns are unavailable.
Page 59: An appeal for donations to the Tapovan institution, offering recognition on the entrance gate.
Page 60: A list of recommended Sanskrit literary works for scholars, including both Jain and non-Jain texts like Raghuvansha, KiratArjuniyam, etc., for developing proficiency in Sanskrit.

In essence, the "Kalyan Mandir" book is a profound spiritual text offering a detailed explanation of a devotional hymn, presented with scholarly analysis by a respected Jain monk, and accompanied by extensive promotional content for educational institutions and spiritual literature promoting Jain values.