Refutation of False Deity-Preceptor-Religion

 

 

Mithyadaivadik bhajain ho hea mithyabhav

Taj tinkon sanchai bhajo, yih hit hait upav

 

Meaning: Instincts like false belief, etc. are found in mundane being from beginningless time and the cause of their reinforcement is the adoration of false deity, false preceptor and false religion.  Stepping in the path of liberation is possible only on their abdication.  Therefore, the same are being discussed hereunder:

 

Characteristics of false Deities and Denial of Faith in them

 

Adoration of those who are not benefactors of the self but are fallaciously treated as benefactors are false deities.

 

The adoration of false deities is done with three types of purposes: Some adore them with the purpose of attaining Moksha (liberation), some for gaining benefit in the next birth and some others for temporal gains in this birth.  But no purpose is served, rather some specific harm is caused, that is why their adoration is a fallacy.  The same being explained here:

 

Many people adore those deities for the purpose of attaining liberation whose adoration is advocated in other (non-Jaina) sects as instrumental for liberation, but liberation is not achieved.  Their description has already been done in the previous chapter about different non-Jaina faiths.  And many people adore the deities described in other sects (non-Jaina religions) with the purpose of gaining happiness and avoiding miseries in the next birth.  But fulfillment of this purpose is possible only by engaging in virtuous deeds and avoiding vicious deeds.  But they indulge in vicious deeds and say that the Almighty will do good to us. But this is injustice, because it has not been possible that the Almighty would punish someone and would not punish some others for their vicious deeds; one would obtain the fruits according to his inner instincts. God is not the doer of any body's good or bad.

 

In the process of adoring such Devas (deities) they kill other Jivas and foster their sensual pleasures by Pating, dancing, etc. in the name of Devas. But one cannot escape from suffering the consequences of vicious instincts. Everybody regards Hinsa (injury), and passional acts as sin and the consequence of sinful acts (Papa) is believed by all to be harmful and in the adoration of false deities there lies the involvement in injury and passional acts only. Therefore, by adoration of false deities no benefit is obtainable in the next birth.

 

Characteristics of Peripatetic Devas And Denialof their Worship

 

Many people adore false deities (gods & goddesses) with different purposes of ending the misery and obtaining happiness such as killing of foes, etc., eradicating diseases, etc., obtaining wealth and son, etc. related to this present life (paryaya) only. They worship Hanumana, goddesses, Gangaur, Sanjhi, Chauth, Sheetala, Dahari, etc., ghost, goblin, ancestors, peripatetic celestial beings, etc., sun, moon, Saturn, etc. stellar gods, Peer (a Mohammedan saint), Paigambera (prophet) etc., cow, horse, and other animals, fire, water, etc. and weapons (sword) etc. What to describe more, they worship even the pieces of stones, etc. for fulfillment of the aforesaid purposes.

 

So, this type of adoration of false deities, etc. is done only due to wrong belief, because firstly many of those whose adoration is done are only imaginary gods (deities), how would, therefore, their adoration be purposeful? And many amongst them are the peripatetic gods (Vyantaras Devas); they are not capable of doing good or bad to others. If they would be capable (of doing good or bad) then they only would become the doers (of good or bad), but nothing is seen happening by their acts, they cannot give wealth, etc. by becoming cheerful nor can they do harm to anyone by becoming envious.

 

Here someone says- "They (the peripatetic Devas) are seen causing pain and misery and if respected they refrain from causing pain?"

 

Answer: When he (the misbeliever) suffers from the rise of inauspicious karmas then they (the Vyantaras) too are found having sportive mood of this type only, due to which they indulge in sportive actions and because of their such acts the person becomes miserable.  And if out of fun they utter something and this fellow does not act accordingly then they stop teasing him and finding him weak continue making fun. If he has the rise of Punya (auspicious karmas) then they cannot do anything.

 

It is also seen, that some persons do not worship them and rather criticize them or they (the Vyantaras) also have aversion with him but they (the Vyantaras) cannot harm him. They are also found saying that the particular person does not pay regard to us, still we cannot do anything. Therefore, the peripatetic devas, etc. are not capable of doing anything, rather happiness-unhappiness is caused due to his own Punya-Papa (virtu and vice) karmas only; on the contrary by regarding and worshipping them, miseries are intensified, no Purpose is accomplished.

 

Further, it should be known that whatever glory and miracles are found associated with imaginary deities, these all are creations of peripatetic devas. Someone was his devotee in the previous birth, after death he became a Vyantara (peripatetic Deva). In that state owing to some reason such conjecture developed due to which he (Vyantara) creates some miracle for inducing people to worship that Deva or false deity. The worldly ignorant people indulge in his worship by seeing some miracle (uncommon happening). As we listen and see the miracles associated with Jina-Pratimas (Idols), but these are not the acts of Jina, rather these are created by some Jaina-Vyantaras. Similarly, whatever miracle is found associated with false deities is the creation of their devotees Vyantaras, etc.

 

Further, in the other sects it is stated that the God helped the devotees and gave Darshan (sight) directly by appearing before them.  But most of these statements are imaginary. Many such acts are performed by their devotee Vyantara Devas which are stated to have been performed by God. If those acts are done by God then the God is omniscient, is capable in all respects; why would He allow the devotees to suffer from miseries. Even today we see that the low caste people inflict afflictions to devotees, destroy religion and break idols. If God is unaware of these acts then He no longer remains an omniscient. Even after knowing if He does not help the devotee then the kindness towards devotees is lost and He is proved powerless.  And if He remains only a withess then the earlier statement that He helped devotees in the past is false; because His tendency is equanimous.

 

Further, if you will say- "The devotion is not of high order;" but in any case the devotee is better than the low caste persons and after all his own idol, etc. was installed, at least He should have not allowed its destruction. And if the low caste wicked people become powerful, so is this an act of God or not?  If it is an act of God then what happened to His kind-heartedness towards devotees, because He makes the calumniators happy and produces trouble creators for the devotees ? And if it is not an act of God, then the God is proved to be powerless.  Therefore, it is not the act of God. Some devotee Vyantara only shows the miracle-you should ascertain like this only.

 

Someone asks here - "Some Vyantara narrates his power, tells the imperceivable things, narrates his inferiority by telling his dirty place of habitation, does not reply to our questions, makes confusing statements, causes others to act contrarily, inflicts misery, etc.--how these astonishing things happen?

 

Answer: In different Vyantaras comparatively more and less power is found, but those who show their inferiority by telling about their dirty place of habitation, etc. do so out of fun. The Vyantaras continue indulging in sportive actions like children. As a child for the sake of making fun shows himself inferior, teases and abuses others, cries loudly and afterwards starts laughing. Similarly, the Vyantaras also indulge in all such actions. If they are inhabitants of dirty places then when they come into good (clean) places, who brings them there? If they come themselves then having such power why do they live in dirty places? Therefore, their residence where they take birth which is under and above this earth is lovely and attractive. For the sake of fun, they utter whatever they like. If they have any sufferance then how do they start laughing immediately after weeping?

 

It is true that the Mantras (incantations) have unlimited (and unimaginable) power. Some true Mantra possesses such instru-mental cause and effect relationship that due to it the Vyantara is not able to move from a place and also becomes somewhat miserable.  If some powerful Mantra checks him then he remains stationary or remains stuck up of his own accord; so all this is the power of Mantra butburning, etc. is not possible. The knower of Mantras (incantator) says that he has burnt the Vyantara but the Vyantara appears again because it is not possible to burn the Vaikriyaka (transformable) body.

 

The range of clairvoyance knowledge found in some of the Vyantaras (peripatetic Devas) is of knowing the things of less area and time and in some ones it is more. There, if they have desire to reply and have knowledge of the question asked then they reply to our question related with unknown objects. If they possess less knowledge then they reply after asking from other Vyantara possessing more knowledge. It should be known that if they possess less knowledge and have no desire to reply then they do not reply to our question. After taking birth the Vyantaras possessing less (clair- voyance) knowledge can know about the events of their previous life for some period only, then afterwards only the remembrance of those events remains. Therefore, if the desire arises then they indulge in various activities and tell about the previous life; but when someone asks something different then, their clairvoyance knowledge being limited, how can then they tell without knowing? The question that they cannot reply and have no desire to reply they do not reply either due to pride or sportive instinct or sometimes tell lies.

 

The devas (celestial beings) possess such power that they can change or turn their own as well as other Jivas body and material things according to their desire; therefore, they transform themselves into different shapes and sizes, etc. and indulge in various peculiar activities. They create diseases, etc. in other Jiva's body.

 

It should be remembered that they can turn or transform their own body and other material things to the extent of their power.  Therefore, they do not possess the power of doing all kind of acts.  They can change or turn the body, etc. of other Jivas, only according to the rise of Punya-Papa karmas of that Jiva. If that Jiva is having the rise of Punya (auspicious karma) then the Vyantara Devas cannot make his body diseased, etc. and if he is having the rise of Papa (inauspicious karma) then Vyantara-Deva cannot do his desired work.

 

Thus, one should know the power of the Vayantara devas, etc.