Prastavik Shloak Sangraha

Here's a comprehensive summary of the Jain text "Prastavik Shloak Sangraha" by Munishri Priyankarvijay, based on the provided pages:

Book Title: Prastavik Shloak Sangraha (प्रास्ताविक श्लोक संग्रह) Author: Munishri Priyankarvijay (मुनि प्रियंकरविजय) Publisher: Dalichand Jain Granthmala (बाई समु दलीचंद्र जैन ग्रंथमाला) Catalog Link: https://jainqq.org/explore/020576/1

Overall Purpose and Content:

"Prastavik Shloak Sangraha" is a compilation of Shlokas (verses) on various topics, primarily focusing on Jain philosophy, ethics, and worldly wisdom. The term "Prastavik" suggests that these verses are intended to serve as an introduction or prelude to deeper spiritual or moral discussions. The author, Munishri Priyankarvijay, has collected these verses from different sources to benefit both learned individuals and younger generations.

Key Themes and Messages:

The Shlokas cover a wide range of themes, offering insights and guidance on:

• The Nature of the World and Human Life:

  • The world is a marketplace of desires and illusions.
  • Human life is a school where lessons are learned, and ignorance is a great danger.
  • Crises can open one's eyes to reality.
  • The present era is one of intellect and rationalism.

• Ethical Conduct and Morality:

  • Virtues: Emphasis on truth, compassion, non-violence (Ahimsa), self-control, patience, and charity. These are presented as fundamental to righteousness and spiritual progress.
  • Vices: Condemnation of various vices, including greed, anger, lust, attachment, deceit, and the pursuit of worldly pleasures without spiritual grounding. The text identifies seven major vices (Dhutam, Mamsham, Suram, Veshya, Papadhi, Chauryam, Pardara Seva) leading to hell.
  • The Importance of Good Company: Associating with the wise and virtuous is encouraged for spiritual growth, while association with the wicked is detrimental.
  • The Value of Knowledge: True knowledge is esteemed, and ignorance is depicted as a great affliction. Education is considered a hidden wealth.
  • Detachment and Renunciation: The fleeting nature of worldly possessions and pleasures is highlighted, advocating for detachment and a focus on spiritual pursuits for true and lasting happiness.
  • Purity of Mind: The importance of a pure mind (Manasam) is stressed, making all other religious observances (worship, penance, pilgrimage, study) fruitful.
  • The Impermanence of Life: The body is temporary, wealth is not eternal, and death is always near, emphasizing the need to engage in virtuous deeds.

• Social Observations and Criticisms:

  • The text offers observations on societal trends, sometimes critical of hypocrisy, superficiality, and the decline of true spiritual values, especially in the Kali Yuga.
  • It points out how people are driven by self-interest and how even virtuous actions are often motivated by seeking rewards.
  • Critique of those who perform rituals without genuine understanding or inner purity.

• Spiritual Practices and Goals:

  • Ahimsa (Non-violence): Explicitly stated as the characteristic of Dharma, and the killing of living beings as Adharma. Protection of life and fearlessness (Abhaya Dana) are highly praised.
  • Charity (Dana): Described as a means to attain Lakshmi (wealth) and liberation.
  • Penance (Tapas): Seen as a way to diminish karmic bondage.
  • Meditation/Contemplation (Bhavana): Presented as a means to destroy the cycle of birth and death.
  • Renunciation (Tyaga): The text suggests that renouncing certain worldly activities leads to great merit.

• Metaphorical and Analogous Teachings:

  • Many Shlokas use analogies from nature (trees, birds, rivers, animals) to illustrate moral and philosophical points. For example, how trees offer fruit without being asked, or how bees extract nectar from flowers.
  • The text uses contrasts to emphasize points, such as the difference between a wise person and a fool, or the outcome of good vs. bad actions.

Specific Examples of Shlokas and their Messages:

• Shloka 1: Describes a modern "Jentleman" with superficial attire and a restless mind, suggesting a critique of modern fashion and internal lack of peace.
• Shloka 2: Depicts an old man with physical decay but still attached to worldly desires, highlighting the persistent nature of attachment even in old age.
• Shloka 3: States that the truth of Dharma is hidden, and the path followed by great souls (Mahajanas) is the true path.
• Shloka 6: Emphasizes the principle of paropkar (doing good for others), comparing it to trees not eating their own fruit or rivers not drinking their own water.
• Shloka 9: Comments on how wealth is the true relation in this world, as friends, sons, and brothers abandon those without money.
• Shloka 11: Lists ideal figures in various domains: Champaka flower, Lanka city, Ganga river, Rama among kings, Rambha among women, Vishnu among men, Magha in poetry, and Kalidasa among poets.
• Shloka 14: Highlights that true satisfaction comes from contentment, not from material possessions like bangles or sandalwood. Liberation comes from meditation, not mere external worship.
• Shloka 21: Describes a person of elevated spirit who endures hardships without complaining, indifferent to comfort or discomfort.
• Shloka 23: A cynical observation that everyone acts out of self-interest, and no one truly belongs to anyone else.
• Shloka 24: Illustrates that nature or inherent disposition (Prakriti) cannot be changed, just as a crow doesn't find joy in a lotus pond, or a fool in the company of the wise.
• Shloka 25: Lists the ideal family of a yogi: patience as father, forgiveness as mother, peace as wife, truth as son, compassion as sister, and self-control as brother.
• Shloka 31: Lists various fears associated with worldly life (fear of disease in enjoyment, fear of decline in happiness, fear of fire/kings in wealth, etc.) and concludes that Vairagya (dispassion/renunciation) is the only fearlessness.
• Shloka 43: Defines Dharma as Ahimsa (non-violence) and Adharma as the killing of beings, urging compassion for all living creatures.
• Shloka 44: States that protecting life is the highest form of charity.
• Shloka 45: While acknowledging that meat-eating, drinking, and sexual activity are natural tendencies for beings, it asserts that abstaining from them leads to great merit.
• Shloka 60: Reinforces the impermanence of the body and life, the transient nature of wealth, the constant presence of death, and the necessity of collecting Dharma.
• Shloka 66: Lists five purifying principles for those who follow Dharma: Ahimsa, Satya (truth), Asteya (non-stealing), Tyaga (renunciation), and Maithuna Varjana (abstinence from sexual intercourse).
• Shloka 79: Mentions friends in different situations: knowledge is a friend in travel, wife at home, medicine for illness, and Dharma is the friend for the deceased.
• Shloka 94: "Everyone lives for themselves in this world; but only the one who lives for the welfare of others truly lives."
• Shloka 107: Discourages meat-eating by stating that Brahma resides in semen, Vishnu in muscles, and Rudra in bones.
• Shloka 114: States that one who renounces meat as poison throughout their life will go to heaven.
• Shloka 139: Defines Mahadeva (Great God) as one with great knowledge, illuminating all worlds, possessing great compassion, self-control, and meditation.
• Shloka 144: "There is no Dharma greater than Truth, no sin greater than Untruth. There is no knowledge greater than Truth; therefore, practice Truth."
• Shloka 155: Lists the six daily duties for householders: worship of God, service to the Guru, self-study, self-control, penance, and charity.
• Shloka 163: "Wealth is unstable, life is unstable, youth and life are unstable. In this transient world, only Dharma is eternal."
• Shloka 166: A motivational verse questioning what cannot be achieved with human courage.
• Shloka 172: Advises to abandon harsh words and speak sweet words for universal happiness.
• Shloka 183: "Dharma decreases, wealth decreases, gradually decreasing. Dharma increases, wealth increases, gradually increasing."
• Shloka 198: Advises to remember God and feed the hungry.
• Shloka 213: "Do not ask the caste of a sadhu; if you must ask, ask about their knowledge. Value the sword, not its scabbard."
• Shloka 226: "Great people do not boast; great people do not speak boastful words. Diamonds do not say from their mouth, 'Our value is a lakh.'"
• Shloka 232: "When you came into the world, the world laughed and you cried. Now, live your life in such a way that you laugh and the world cries." (A reversal of fortune or impactful living).
• Shloka 249: "One becomes a Brahmin by action, a Kshatriya by action, a Vaishya by action, and a Shudra by action." (Emphasizing karma over birthright).

Editorial and Publishing Information:

• The book was published in 1945.
• It is noted as the first edition (Prathama Vritti).
• The Shri Mahavir Jain Aradhana Kendra, Kobatirth, Gujarat, is involved in its scanning and preservation project.
• The publisher is Dalichand Jain Granthmala, numbered 5 in their series.
• The price was a nominal "6 Anna" (a historical Indian currency unit).
• A "Shuddhipatraka" (Errata) is included, indicating corrections to typographical errors.

In essence, "Prastavik Shloak Sangraha" serves as a repository of concise, impactful verses offering ethical guidance, philosophical reflections, and practical wisdom rooted in Jain principles, designed to be accessible and beneficial to a broad audience.