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Thus
after the lapse of nine months in the month of Chitra on the
thirteenth day of the bright fortnight the divine child was born.
The divine child was at the time of birth equipped with three kinds
of knowledge and ten kinds of congenital miraculous qualities. The
Devas celebrated the birth ceremony of the Lord. He was given the
name Sri Vardhamana and also Veeraswami This occurred 250 years
after the Nirvana of Parswa. The life period of the newborn divine
baby would be a little less then 72 years. The child was growing
happily attended to by the various Devas.
As
a youth, he went to a park with a number of friends in order to
play. While the royal youths were engaged in sport in the park, the
Deva king Soudaramendra was seated in the valiant hall and was
discussing with his ministers about the persons with extraordinary
strength and heroism. There it was mentioned that Veeraswamy was a
great and courageous hero. A Deva by name Sanganne
came down to the world to verify this statement. He took the
form of a great serpent. It twisted its body round a tree where the
children were playing. The divine youth climbed up the same tree and
reached the top where the great serpent was spreading its hood. The
divine youth got on the top of the hood of the serpent and stood
there dancing fearlessly. The Deva who came there to test him was
surprised at the fearless heroism of the youth. He resumed his usual
form and worshipped him. He praised the youth thus “Oh Bhagavan!
Thou art really the Mahavira.” Thus they named him with the
appropriate name of Mahavira. Thus the Lord lived 30 years of his
youthful life.
In
his 30th year, he had an idea of renouncing the world.
About that time, Lokanthikalpa Decas appeared before him and
addressed him thus: Oh Lord! Now is the time for you to renounce the
world and adopt asceticism. With the consent of Lord, the Devas
celebrated the Parinishkramana
Kalyana,
the happy event assuming ascetic life. He spent several days in
spiritual discipline and yoga, completely fasting. After this period
of fasting, he wanted to break his fast. Hence to secure food, he
entered the village called Koolagrama, the chieftain of which was
called Koolen who offered him pure food which was accepted by the
Lord. Then the Lord maintaining the vow of silence returned to the
forest and adopted the Thapas.
Chandana,
the last daughter of Chetaka Maharaja was carried away by a
Vidyadhara youth without the knowledge of her parents. Fearing the
jealousy of his own wife she was not taken to his own home; but he
left her in the forest region. There, a hunter took possession of
her and sold her to a merchant by name Vrishabhasena who treated her
as his own daughter. But the merchant’s wife by name Suprabha out
of jealousy, Suspected her husband’s conduct. She treated Chandana
as a salve, put chains on her feet, gave her dirty rags cover her
nakedness and gave her food prepared from coarse millet. While
Chandana was in such a miserable condition, she learnt that the Lord
was entering into the city of Kousambi in the country of Vathsa for
the purpose of obtaining food. Chandana with great devotion wanted
to meet and entertain the Lord. This very thought due to devotion to
the Lord, resulted in the miraculous breaking up of her chains
automatically. She regained her usual bodily beauty. The rags with
which she had covered her body gave place to beautiful silk sarees.
Her body became miraculously adorned with various kinds of
ornaments. The food prepared out of the coarse millet grains turned
into a rich food prepared out of rice. The mud plate in which she
carried also changed into a beautiful golden plate. Chandana was
filled with surprise and joy at these miraculous changes. The food
which she offered and which was in the beginning of a poor quality,
became all in a sudden, rich food which was accepted by the Lord for
breaking his fast. After entertaining the Lord, Chandana was happy
to return to her own home enjoying with her relations.
Then
the Lord spent twelve years in austere Thapas and Yogic
contemplation. When he was in yogic contemplation, the potential
power of the various karmas was gradually destroyed. Finally,
through the use of the yogic power or Sukla Dhyana, the four kinds
of destructive karmas called Khathi Karmas were also destroyed. He
at once obtained the four kinds of infinite qualities which are
infinite knowledge infinite perception infinite power and infinite
bliss. Equipped with these four infinite qualities, he became
Omniscient Lord, Arhanta. He then obtained the ten miraculous
qualities resulting from the destruction of the Karmas. Immediately,
the Devas and Devendras appeared there to celebrate the Maha Pooja
relating to the appearance of the Omniscience. The Devas Provided
the Lord with the glorious paraphernalia such as Samavasarana. They
also provided fourteen miraculous qualities associated with Lord
Arhanta.
While
the Lord who was thus situated in Samavasarana was propounding the
Dharma; Devendra went in search of a scholar who will be able to
interpret the divine speech for the benefit of the different people,
assembled in the Samavasarana Hall. Finally, he found a Bramin
scholar by name Indrabhuti of Goutama Gothra. This Brahmin scholar
Indrabhuti was taken to the Samavasarana by Devendra. Though he was
conceited because of great scholarship, yet, in the presence of the
Lord, he was entirely free from intellectual pride and listened to
the Lord’s teaching about the nature of reality. He was impressed
by the divine wisdom. He became a disciple of the Lord and became a
Jaina ascetic together with his 500 followers. He became the chief
Ganadhara of the Lord. He produced the teachings of the Lord into
sacred Agamas for the benefit of the mankind. Thus he became the
first and chief disciple Ganadhara. With him, there were altogether
eleven Ganadharas – the chief disciples. Besides Goutama, the
other ten are the following
1 Vayubhuti
6. Putra
- Agnibhuti
7. Maitreya
- Sudharma
8 Akampana
- Mourya 9 Achelaka
- Mandara 10. Prabhasaka
Surrounded by various
followers in a cognation ascetics and ordinary people, both male and
female, the Lord traveled different places preaching the Dharma to
all without any distinction.
The Lord then spent
thirty years going about from place to place pounding the Dharma.
Then be gave up his travels and remained in yogic contemplation near
the town Pavapuri. With the help of yogic contemplation called Cukla
Dyana, all the remaining Akhathi Karmas were got rid off. In the
month of Karthigai, 14th day of the dark fortnight
towards the end night, he attained Nirvana, the spiritual release
followed by Eternal bliss. This day of Mahavira’s Nirvana is
celebrated by the Jains as “Deepavali”.
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