Treasury of Jain Tales

SR No.: 006762
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: V M Kulkarni
Publisher: Shardaben Chimanbhai Educational Research Centre
Publication Year: 1994
Total Pages: 468
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 17 MB

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handfuls. He thus became a monk.
He wore clothes that a monk should wear for a little over a year and then he discarded them altogether to become an acelaka (nude). After doing severe penance, he succeeded in detaching himself completely from material life and ensured the purity of his soul. Thus separated from the body his soul gained the purity of gold. Detached like the lotus leaf, he became gentle like the moon and bright like the sun. He also achieved the firmness of Mount Meru and the tolerance of Mother Earth.
Rsabha as an arhat travelled from one place to another conveying his message of enlightenment to people everywhere for one thousand years. He attained the ultimate knowledge. kevalajñäna while he was lost in meditation under a Banyan tree in the Sakatamukha Park. He was also at that time observing a fast, remaining even without water for three days. This was the eleventh day of the dark half of the month of Phálguna.
Rsabha as a kevalin travelled from place to place preaching the five great vows, pañcamahávratas. The army of his disciples gradually increased. He now had eighty four ganas and eightyfour ganadharas, eightyfour thousand monks and three lakh nuns. He also had three lakh and five thousand srāvakas and five lakh and fiftyfour thousand srávikäs who had pinned implicit faith in him. Sreyamsa and Subhadrā were the chief amongst the srāvakas and sravikās.
On the thirteenth day of the dark half of Māgha, Kevali Rsabha went up the mount Astăpada. He was accompanied by ten thousand monks. On the mountain, he sat down to meditate and during the course of the period of meditation, when he had also observed a fast for six days when he abstained even from water, his soul left his body, Rsabha in this manner attained salvation after a long span of eightyfour lakh pūrvas.
Indra through his avadhijñana came to know that Arhat Rsabha had that day attained salvation. He at once summoned the other gods to celebrate the nirvāna-mahotsava in honour of the First Tirtharkara.