Jain Legend Vol 1

SR No.: 007594
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Hastimal Maharaj, Shuganchand Jain, P S Surana
Publisher: Hastimal Maharaj Shugan C Jain P S Surana
Publication Year: 2011
Total Pages: 367
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 2 MB

Page 240

Differences of opinion on the question of marriage
There is difference of opinion regarding P r van tha being married. There is description of the marriage of Lord P r va in Tri a i al k puru acaritra and Caupanna Mah purisa cariyam, but not in Tiloyapa att, Padmacaritra, Uttarapura, Mah pura and Pr vacarita of V dir ja. There is a description of the marriage after the submission of the Yavana king in Devabhadra's P san ha Cariyam and Tri a i al k puru acaritra. Padmak rti does take up the marriage issue but does not describe the marriage taking place. There is no mention of marriage in the basic gamas Samav yamga and Kalpas tra. The main tenets of vet mbara and Digambara tradition mention that V sup jya, Mall, Nemi, Prva and Mah v ra T rthamkara became renouncers at adolescence and the remaining 19 ruled over kingdoms. Based on this the Digambara tradition considers him unmarried. According to the c ryas of the vet mbara tradition adolescence here means the stage of being a crown prince. Among those who believe P r va to be married say that based on his father's request, despite having married, he remained aloof from enjoyment of pleasures and despite being young and able he did not accept kingship. This is why he is called prince. But other c ryas believe that because he did not marry he is hailed as a prince. This is the root cause of the difference of opinion. abdaratnako a and Vaijayanti also take ‘kum ra' to mean prince.
Redemption of N ga (Serpent)
One day P r van tha was watching the splendour of V r as pur when he saw many people going out of the city carrying with them material for ablutions and prayers. On enquiry he came to know that a great ascetic called Kama ha was observing the pamc gni fire ritual in the garden outside the city and people were going to pay obeisance to him. Out of curiosity the prince too went to see the ascetic. He saw that the ascetic painted with ash was worshipping the big fire. All around him were intense flames and over his head was the intense heat of the summer sun. His blood-shot eyes in the midst of his long locks of hair made the ascetic look fearsome. Crowds of people would come, lay flowers and garlands at his feet, take sacred ash and leave, considering themselves blessed. Through his clairvoyant knowledge, P r vakum ra realized that a serpent (according to Uttarapur a serpent couple) on one of those logs
240