उवसग्गहरं स्तोत्र is one of the most important & powerful devotional prayer in Jain Tradition.
उवसग्गहरं स्तोत्र was composed 2300 years ago by Acharya Bhadrabahu Swami & It is dedicated to 23rd Tīrthaṅkara Pārśvanātha
A short Thread about its history & significance.
उवसग्गहरं स्तोत्र is also one of the oldest stotra written in Prakrit language apart from the navkara mantra.
Jains recite the prayer regularly at homes and in temples , is believed to eliminate obstacles, hardships, and miseries, if chanted with complete faith.
According to Tradition the उवसग्गहरं स्तोत्र was composed to eradicate the plague created by Bhadrabahu brother Varähmihir in Ujjain
Beside composing this stotra Bhadrabähu has also written scriptures like the "Vyävahär Sootra" , "Dasäshrutskandha" and "Brihad Kalpa".
उवसग्गहरं स्तोत्र is written in the Gähä metre (chhanda) which is also called the Arya in Sanskrit. The language of this stotra is Präkrit.
The first verse worships Pärshvanätha. The poet praises Him by saying that I bow down (vandämi) to Pärshva (the 23rd Tirthankara)
A book called Shri Shräddha Pratikramana Sootra- Prabodhteekä, which was written by Bhadrankara Vijayji Gani mentions that Bhadrabähu had composed the Uvasaggaharam Stotra.
Interestingly there are references of two person with the name of Bhadrabahu.
According to Shvetämbara tradition one can find the account of
another Jain monk called Bhadrabähu.
He lived around 1st century CE few believe that he wrote a book on astrology called Bhadrabähu Samhita & few scholars believe that the same have written उवसग्गहरं स्तोत्र
As regards Bhadrabähu, the second, there is no proper record of his time and therefore it is impossible to arrive at any conclusion.
However traditional belief & scholars cannot be ignored . This says that Bhadrabähu – the first- composed the उवसग्गहरं स्तोत्र.
From its original form (27 gathas-stanza)7 were most commonly recited, and these had strong magical powers and were very powerful
It is said soon people started misusing this स्तोत्र excessively for smaller things & petty material desires.Thus 2 gathas were forbidden with time
UVVASAGA or Upsarga = afflictions, suffering.
These refer to –
- Adhi (mental suffering meaning likes and dislikes)
- Vyadhi (physical suffering meaning disease of Body)
- Upadhi (problems of external circumstances, self-imposed trouble)
In 1891,one British officer set up a factory for removing the skins of pigs at Sammed Shikharji.
Virchand Gandhi went all the way to kolkata.He spent six months preparing & fighting the case against the factory, and was eventually successful in getting the factory closed.
At the age 21,as the secretary of "Jain Association of India",he worked for the abolition of poll tax levied on pilgrims to Palitana.
In those days to protest against the dictates of the ruler was to invite severe punishment & even death,but that doesn't stop Virchand gandhi.
He often went up form Mahuva to Palitana and prepared the ground for the case.
He met Lord Ray, the governor of Bombay, and Colonel Watson,the Political Agent and made a strong representation and eventually forced the abolition of the poll-tax.
She is a Jain Yakshi that is a dedicated attendant of the 22nd Jina Neminatha
She is also known as "Sasana Devi", the 'protector goddess'
There are several literary references as well as ancient images & Temples of Ambika.
Thread.
Devi Ambika often shown riding a lion & accompanied by her son,holding a bunch of mangoes in her hand & jina Neminatha sitting on top.
The earliest reference to the iconographic form of Ambika is found in the Chaturvimśatikā of Acharya Bappabhațti suri.
One of the earliest reference of Ambika is obtained in the unfinished Sanskrit commentary of Acharya Jinabhadra-ganin Ksamā-srāmana on the "Viśesāvaśhyaka-bhāśya"(5th century CE).
The work however, refers to her as "Ambā-kuśhmānda vidyā" and not as the yakshi
Āchārya Akalanka Deva who used his power of logic to win over his opponents in Debates.
Perhaps he was one of the greatest minds Jainism has ever produced.
He lived in 7th- 8th century & was one of the greatest logician & Debater
Thread
Akalanka Deva occupies a unique place in the development of Indian logic.Akalanka deva cemented the foundations of jaina logic.
Akalnaka himself thought that his philosophy would not be understood by his contemporaries because of their small-minded vanity.
He was wrong about that, fortunately for us. His philosophy certainly did find recognition & inspired many after him.
Acharya Akalanka greatly contributed to the development of the philosophy of the Syādvāda & is therefore called the “Master of Jain logic” – Syādvāda Vidyāpati.
Among 100 earliest extant Tamil-Brahmi inscriptions, 95% are Jain records,which are found mostly in cave surface & rock shelters.These caves where once abode of Jain monks
The Tamil-Brahmi inscriptions are the
Most ancient of the extant written records of Old Tamil.
Thread.
Inscriptions in Tamil Brahmi at Perumalmalai in Tamil Nadu.
The inscription are dated to 3rd century BCE or older, this is amongst the oldest decipherable writings anywhere in India
The inscriptions say "Kavai" and "Saialan (from) Vindai (village has donated these jain caves)"
Samanar Caves. Madurai.
Located 11 kilometers from Madurai
It was here that hundreds of Jain monks undertook ‘sallekena’ or ‘fast unto death’. The incident is mentioned in 2000-year-old Tamil-Brahmi inscriptions and Vatteluttu writings which were recovered by Archaeologists.
It's not a Temple,it's a living example of science of stone carving ,a magic weaved into stone.
Unfortunately, these incredible works of art have not been publicized much and remain relatively unknown even to most Indians.
Vimal Vasahi Temple - This Temples was built Vimal shah commander-in- chief of Solanki ruler Bhim dev.
It took more than 14 years to build this temple by 1500 artisians & 1200 labours , with cost of whooping 19 crores, yes u heard it right 19 crores that too 1000years ago.
While entering the door of Vimal Vasahi we get the glimpse of the grandeur of sculpted marble,exquisite carvings of ceilings ,pillars & arches of the dream like far beyond any one's expectations.
Do spare a thought for architect "kirtidhar" who accomplished this wonder of world.