Lord Mahavira

SR No.: 011079
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Bool Chand
Publisher: Jain Cultural Research Society
Total Pages: 123
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 6 MB

Page 99

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the new converts this year there were the merchants Dhanya and Shâlibhadra.
Campā was the next place which the Lord visited on the completion of the rainy season. Here he converted the prince Mahachandra Kumar, From Campā he proceeded to the province of Sindhu-Sauvira, where Udāyana vas culing over Vitabhaya. It has been already explained how this Udāyana was related to Mahavira through his wife Prabhāvati. The journey to Sindhu-samvira was very difficult, involving travel in desert areas and hard country ; but Mahavira went to the place in order to give to King Udayana dilisha as a 'Sramanopasalca'. Returning from Sindhu-Sauvira, he spent the rainy season at Vāņijyagrāma.
After the rainy season, a visit was paid to Benares and certain other places in the kingdom of Káši, where numerous followers were gained for the Jain church.. For the rainy season, the Lord returned to Rajgpha. At Rajgļha he spent a highly fruitful season. King Srenika had proclaimed that he would personally undertake to feed and otherwise overlook the dependents of anybody who desired to join Mahavira's order of monks. As a result of this proclamation, thousands of people joined the order and Mahavira stayed on at Rajgpha giving dīksā to the comers for sometime even after the finishing of the rainy season. Enragėd; probably at the success of Lord Mahavira's ministry, Gosala Mankhaliputra, of whom mention has been made already, began his public criticism of Mahavira's faith, although unsuccessfully, in the course of an argument with Ardraka, à monk of Mahavira's order. The rainy season was spent by Mahavira again at Rajgrha.
Having spent two rainy seasons at Rajgļha, Maha- . vira proceeded towards Vatsa country, visiting on the · way Alabhiya in the kingdom of Käsi. At Kausambi
he converted queen Mrgāvati and several queens of