Bhagavati Aradhana (Mularadhana): A Book on Santhara or Samadhi-Marana

Email

Whatsapp

Facebook

Pinterest

Twitter

Copy link

This work, by Sivarya, was written almost two millennia ago and till today it is the most voluminous work, running in a total of 2164 Prakrt verses, on the sensitive subject of Voluntary Peaceful death or Samadhimarana or Santhara that covers the subject in all possible details.

Starting with a brief introduction to the subject detailing seventeen types of deaths including three types of desirable deaths and the rest of them as undesirable deaths, three types of Samadhimaranas, etc, it proceeds to define and explain four-fold Aradhanas comprising Darsanaradhana, Jnanaradhana, Caritraradhana and Taparaaradhana. This is followed by a detailed exposition, in four sections called Dvaras and thirty-nine subsections called Pratidvaras that cover various aspects of the practice of Samadhimarana like eligibility to undertake this practice, search for a suitable guru, maximal, medium and minimal practices and the results thereof.

In this work the author cum translator, Dr. Colonel Dalpat Singh Baya has given a comprehensive introduction in the form of Preface that runs into nearly 200 pages before proceeding to translate the Prakrt verses into English language. Here, too, he has taken care to give explanatory foot notes where needed.

The book has been appended with three comprehensive appendices giving selected glossary of Jaina terms relevant to the subject matter of the book, an alphabetical order of verses giving the verse number and the page number where it occurs and rounded up by a comparative study of verses of Bhagawati Aradhana and similar verses of other Jaina works and it was possible to find nearly 500 such verses of this work that have either been borrowed from other older works or have found mention in other works of later authors with certain minor linguistic variations.

This book, the very first attempt to translate a work of this magnitude into English language, is sure to fulfil a great and much felt need of reaching out to those of Jaina faith that have migrated ex India generations ago and find it hard to study their scriptures in any language other than English.

how far the author cum translator has succeeded in his endeavour is for the scholars to judge.

Dr. Colonel Dalpat Singh Baya, who comes from a devout Jaina family of Udaipur, was initiated into the realm of Jaina Studies by his illustrious father, Svanamadhanya Late Shri Ganeshlalji Baya, who was himself a renowned exponent of Jaina thought and was deeply devoted to the cause of spreading the gospel.

With his inherited dedication to the cause, Dr. Baya took up Jaina Studies after his retirement from a distinguished career in the Indian Army in 1995. His army career that spanned over 30 years was marked by several meritorious distinctions won by him from time to time.

An erudite scholar and a prolific writer, Dr. Baya has, to date, authored three English/bilingual commentaries on Jaina canonical and explanatory works like Uttaradhyayana Sutra, Tattvartha Sutra, Astapahuda and Pancalingi Prakarana. He has also written original books on Jaina Studies such as JAINA DHARMA : JEEVAN DHARMA, JAINISM : THE CREED FOR ALL TIMES, SAMADHIMARANA DEATH IN EQUANIMITY : THE PURSUIT OF IMMORTALITY, etc. Also, he has translated, into English and Hindi more than ten Prakirnaka works, Volume 5 of the Dhavala Commentary on Satkhandagama besides writing scores of well researched papers and articles that have been published in reputed research journals throughout the country.

His talent has been well recognised and he has been awarded the prestigious national awards for meritorious and significant contributions to Jaina literature such as Ganesh Lalwani award and Late Shri Pradeepkumar Rampuria award etc.

**Contents and Sample Pages**