Unknown Pilgrims

SR No.: 007014
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: N Shanta
Publisher: Sri Satguru Publications Delhi
Publication Year: 1997
Total Pages: 820
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 19 MB

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The Unknown Pilgrims
which favours recollection and mental concentration, he stayed thus for one whole year. Ants swarmed over his feet, climbing plants entwined themselves around his legs, wild animals roamed close by, but nothing moved him. He stayed in deep meditation. However, he did not reach perfect knowledge, because he had not overcome a certain pride -filled thought: since his act of renunciation he had not yet been to prostrate himself before his father Adinātha who had accepted as disciples his younger brothers. As these last-named had received initiation before him, Bāhubali, in accordance with the rule of seniority appertaining to dikşă, should have greeted them by making a prostration before them. Now this prospect was highly distasteful to him. Adinātha, thanks to his direct intuitive power, perceived the state of soul of Bāhubali from afar. He summoned Brāhmi and Sundari and requested them to go and enlighten their brother concerning his unyielding pride. The two emissaries had some difficulty in descrying Bahubali, so much alike did he appear to the surrounding trees. They paid homage to this great muni and transmitted to him the message of their father: "One cannot attain perfect knowledge seated on the back of an elephant."22 They then departed. Bāhubali was at first highly astonished at these words, but all of a sudden it came to him that his pride was the elephant, that mount on which he had placed himself. Recognising his fault, he decided forthwith to go and salute his younger brothers, whereupon, at that very moment, he was purified from all his karmas and became omniscient.23
B - Mallinåtha
Between the first tirthankara and the nineteenth, Mallinātha, we know the names of certain sādhvis who were disciples of the
22 ... hastiskandhādhirūdhānām utpadyeta na kevalam. TrisalPC 1, 5, 788.
23 Cf. TrisalPC I, 5, 776-798; cf. also JSBSam V, pp. 185-197; PPN, pp. 495; 804. Bāhubali is the object of great veneration, his statue is erected in several Digambara centres, the most beautiful and gigantic being at Śravaņa Belgoļa in Karņāțaka; cf. Jain Journal XV, April 1981, in homage to Bāhubali; cf.also P 219.