________________
$14
vana Vardhamănu
Swami is remaining without food and drink, and that his abhigraha (vow). is not known till now. The minister replied :-"O king! I was not able to know anything owing to burden of work coming in rapid succession, and also owing to my domestic engagements. Now, just as your majesty orders me, I am ready to execute your orders soon.'
The king then called the religicus preceptor Tattva-vādi and asked him :-'O good man! The various religious practices of several systems of religion must have been explained in your special branch of knowledge, now you tell me what abhigraba (vow) must have been taken by Venerable Bhagavan Śramaņa Bhagavan Mahavira. Also O minister! You are profoundly intelligent. Think well and find out a remedy. After thinking well for a while, the upadhyaya said, "O king! The great sages have described numerous abhigrahas produced in accordance with dravya (substance), kāla (time), kṣétra (place), and bhāva (intentions) The vow taken by the Venerable Bhagavan cannot be determined without higher knowledge. The king, then, made a public prociamation urging towns-people to offer various articles to Śramapa Bhagavan Malāvira as alms as he had some special Vows. By devotion and by the king's order, the people of the town did everything they could. But as none was able to satisfy the conditions of his vow, he did not accept any aims from any body although the towns-people were piously desirous of happi. ness during next life, and extremely careful in observing religious practices,
Śramana Bhagavan Mahavira, who was strenuously exerting himself in destroying various enemies in the form of his previous Evil Karmas by concentration although he was without food and drink remained in perfect equableness with an un-withered face. On account of his extremely difficult vow, Śramana Bhagavān Mahavira endured all the sufferings for four months.
An Account of Candana-bālā
At that time, King Dadhivahara was the King of Campă Nagari. He had a queen named Dharini and a daughter named Vasumatî.
Jain Education International
For Private Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org