Subhashit Shloak Tatha Stotradi Sangraha

Based on the provided text from "Subhashit Shlok Tatha Stotradi Sangraha" by Bhavvijay, here is a comprehensive summary in English:

Book Title: Subhashit Shlok Tatha Stotradi Sangraha (Collection of Virtuous Verses and Hymns) Author: Muni Maharaj Shri Bhavvijayji Maharaj Publisher: Shah Bhupatrai Jadavji, Palitana Context: The book is a compilation of Sanskrit and Prakrit verses, hymns, and wise sayings related to Jain principles and philosophy. It aims to guide the reader towards righteous living, spiritual upliftment, and understanding the essence of Jainism.

Overall Theme and Content:

The book is a treasure trove of moral, ethical, and spiritual teachings derived from Jain scriptures. It presents these teachings in concise and memorable verses (shlokas) and hymns (stotras). The overarching theme is the pursuit of Dharma (righteousness) as the path to liberation and well-being, both in this life and in future lives.

The content can be broadly categorized as follows:

1. The Fruits and Importance of Dharma:

   • The verses emphasize that adherence to Dharma leads to auspiciousness and fulfillment. They describe the positive outcomes of following Dharma, such as growth in lifespan, fame, intellect, wealth, and progeny.
   • It highlights that Dharma is the source of all prosperity and well-being, and its practice yields manifold benefits.
   • The text stresses the concept of sowing seeds according to what one wishes to reap, applying this principle to spiritual practices and their results.

2. The Nature of the World and the Self:

   • Impermanence: Many verses lament the impermanent nature of worldly possessions, relationships, youth, and even life itself. The body is described as transient, and attachments to them are seen as the root of suffering.
   • The True Essence: The text distinguishes between the transient and the eternal. It points towards the soul (Jiva) and its inherent qualities as the true essence, which remains unaffected by worldly changes.
   • The Danger of Attachment: Excessive attachment to wealth, sensual pleasures, and worldly desires is depicted as a cause of suffering and a hindrance to spiritual progress. The verses caution against the fleeting nature of these worldly attractions.

3. Ethical Principles and Virtues:

   • Truthfulness: The importance of speaking truth, purified by honest intention, is repeatedly stressed.
   • Non-Violence (Ahimsa): While not explicitly detailed in this summary of verses, the underlying Jain philosophy emphasizes Ahimsa, and many verses implicitly promote compassion and the avoidance of harm.
   • Contentment and Non-Possession: The verses advocate for contentment with what one has and warn against excessive accumulation of wealth, especially through unethical means. The futility of hoarding wealth without using it for good purposes is highlighted.
   • Generosity (Daan) and Charity: The importance of giving to worthy recipients (patra) is praised, emphasizing that true charity is never wasted and brings lasting merit.
   • Humility and Modesty: The text encourages humility, discouraging arrogance and self-praise. True greatness is shown to come from inner virtues, not external status.
   • Discrimination and Wisdom: The verses advocate for discerning the essence from the non-essential, like extracting honey from flowers. Wisdom is lauded as the ability to seek truth and act judiciously.
   • Control of the Senses: The difficulty but necessity of controlling the senses is mentioned, with examples of great ascetics who practiced such control.

4. The Path to Liberation (Moksha):

   • Spiritual Practice: The verses suggest that true liberation is achieved through inner purification, control of desires and passions (kashayas), meditation, and detachment from the material world.
   • The Role of the Guru: The indispensability of a Guru (spiritual teacher) for understanding true Dharma and navigating the path to liberation is highlighted.
   • The Importance of Right Faith (Samyak Darshan): The verses subtly point towards the foundational role of right faith in the Jain path.

5. Critique of Worldly Ways:

   • The text critiques the follies of the worldly-minded, their pursuit of fleeting pleasures, their attachment to wealth, and their disregard for ethical principles.
   • It points out the deceptive nature of appearances and the hypocrisy that can exist in society.
   • The verses also touch upon the decline of moral values in the Kali Yuga (age of discord), lamenting the prevalence of vice and the suffering of the virtuous.

6. Examples of Virtuous Lives:

   • The text alludes to figures like Sthulibhadra, King Bhoj, Vastupal, Tejpal, Shalibhadra, and the Tirthankaras, using their stories or qualities as examples of devotion, renunciation, generosity, and spiritual attainment.

7. The Power of Association (Satsang):

   • The immense influence of good company (Satsang) in spiritual and moral development is emphasized, contrasting it with the negative impact of bad company (Kusang).

8. The Significance of Rituals and Devotion:

   • While emphasizing inner virtues, the verses also acknowledge the importance of devotion to the Jinas (Tirthankaras), participation in religious ceremonies, visiting holy places (Tirtha), and performing acts of worship. The benefits of such practices are highlighted.

Specific Themes and Examples (Illustrative):

• Verse 1 (Page 6): The auspiciousness of an incarnation, birth celebrations, divine gifts, kingly splendor, virtuous vows, and the attainment of Kevala knowledge are all attributed to the glory of Dharma.
• Verse 11 (Page 8): It compares key Jain figures: Adinatha as the greatest giver, Kunthunatha as the most respected, Shalibhadra as the greatest enjoyer, and Sthulibhadra as the greatest yogi, implying that true excellence exists in these distinct virtues.
• Verse 14 (Page 10): Describes the precarious nature of wealth – it is coveted by heirs, stolen by thieves, destroyed by fire, seized by rulers, and wasted by unworthy descendants.
• Verse 15 (Page 10): Praises Vastupal and Tejpal for their prodigious charitable works, including building numerous temples, wells, and supporting ascetics.
• Verse 17 (Page 11): Outlines the essence of various things: nectar from the ocean, wealth from distribution, truth from speech, virtue from trees, pearls from bamboo, gold from the earth, fragrance from flowers, and human life from the accumulation of merit.
• Verse 18 (Page 11): Reflects on the impermanence of family ties, questioning one's identity across countless lifetimes.
• Verse 21 (Page 11): Lists six virtues that cultivate merit: association with the virtuous, devotion to scriptures, concentration in meditation, steadfastness in duty, ability in charity, and devotion to the Guru.
• Verse 24 (Page 12): Declares that the mind is the cause of both bondage and liberation; attachment to desires leads to bondage, while a desireless mind leads to liberation.
• Verse 31 (Page 13): Encourages extracting the essence from everything: wealth from wealth, speech from truth, fame from Dharma, life from virtuous deeds, and body from beneficial actions.
• Verse 33 (Page 13): A series of rhetorical questions highlighting the uselessness of possessions or qualities for those who cannot utilize them (e.g., wealth for a miser, beauty for the unattractive).
• Verse 39 & 40 (Page 16): Vividly describes the degenerated state of the Kali Yuga, with the decline of religion, truth, justice, and the rise of wickedness.
• Verse 64 (Page 20): States that the fears arising from battles, elephants, snakes, lions, diseases, fires, enemies, imprisonment, night, ghosts, and witches are all destroyed by chanting the names of the five supreme beings (Panch Parmeshthi).
• Verse 66 (Page 20): Declares the Navkar Mantra to be unparalleled, Girnar (Shatrunjaya) to be incomparable, and Adinatha to be the supreme deity, who was, is, and will be.
• Verse 72 (Page 21): Expresses the immeasurable fruit of worshipping the Jinas, stating that even the ocean's depth or the stars can be measured, but not the fruit of Jin worship.
• Verse 117 (Page 28): Compares the destructive power of anger, stating that a six-month fever can destroy a day's vitality, but anger can destroy merits earned over years.
• Verse 119 (Page 28): Claims that liberation is not achieved through specific clothing, theories, or arguments, but solely through the freedom from passions.
• Verse 130 (Page 29): Compares a yogi contemplating a Vitaraagi (passionless) being to a bee contemplating a bee, suggesting that by meditating on the Vitaraagi, one attains that state.
• Verse 213 (Page 44): States that giving knowledge in vain, doing charity without discernment, practicing austerity without purity, and adopting the Jain path without compassion are all fruitless.
• Verse 320 (Page 62): Illustrates that virtues shine when associated with those who appreciate them, but become faults when associated with the unworthy, like pure river water becoming undrinkable upon meeting the ocean.
• Verse 499 (Page 81): Highlights that wisdom is impossible for the lazy, wealth for the penniless, friends for the friendless, and strength for the powerless.
• Verse 627 (Page 95): Enlists fears associated with various aspects of life (enjoyment, wealth, power, relationships, knowledge) and concludes that only renunciation (Vairagya) is fearlessness.
• Verse 704 (Page 102): States that truth sustains the earth, makes the sun shine, allows the winds to blow, and is the basis of everything.
• Verse 1265 (Page 109): Declares that there is no penance equal to forgiveness, no happiness like contentment, no suffering like greed, and no Dharma like compassion.

Author's Intent:

Muni Bhavvijayji Maharaj, as a disciple of Acharya Vijyendra Surishwarji and student of Acharya Vijaydharmasurishwarji, compiled these verses with the intention of providing spiritual guidance and moral instruction. The book serves as a practical guide for individuals seeking to understand and implement Jain principles in their daily lives, ultimately aiming for spiritual growth and liberation. The inclusion of detailed "Sapt Smaran" (Seven Meditations) and various stotras further indicates the devotional and practical aspect of the compilation, intended for daily remembrance and spiritual practice.