Jaina Gazette 1927

SR No.: 034889
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: J L Jaini, Ajitprasad
Publisher: Jaina Gazettee Office
Publication Year: 1927
Total Pages: 568
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 47 MB

Page 136

MIRACLE PLACES (ATISHAYA KSHETRAS) 81
men and started digging the spot. After the digging proceeded for some time, a voice came from below : “Slowly! Slowly I." The spade therefore worked carefully and it was found that it had touched the Image, and but for the supernatural warning the Image would have been injured. The delighted cowherds carefully separated the Image from its earthly prison, wondered at it and worshipped it.
When the news got abroad and Jainas found it to be an Image of their Lord, they came and tried to take it away, but with scant success as given above.
Therefore they brought the Image only where it is now and built a Temple round it.
Only a modest temple was built at first. But the cowherds in the country-side all round were simply won by the Image and began to flock to it with prayers for plenty and prosperity for them, for their children and for their herds of cows and buffaloes.
Tradition gives an interesting incident which happened some decades later. There was a treasurer in the State of Bharatpur. He incurred the wrath of His Royal Mas!er. the Maharaja of Bharatpur, who sentenced him to be shot dead with a gun. The treasurer was perhaps innocent, and in his hopelessness invoked the assistance of the Image vowing that he would dedicate Rs. 50,000 if he escaped death from the gun, and lo! the next morning when the man was to be shot, the gun was fired at him, but it would not go. The man was saved. The matter being reported to the Maharaja he ordered that the treasurer should be shot the next day. The treasurer fearing to lose his life which he believed to have been saved by Lord Mahavira in this miraculous manner, again passed his whole time in weeping and supplicating to the Lord to save him again ; and he also vowed to increase his votive offering of the preceding day from Rs. 50 000 to Rs. 75.000. The next day also the gun, though fired, refused to go and kill the man. Annoyed by this the Maharaja ordered the man to be shot dead a third time. Fear overpowered the condemned man but Faith filled his heart ; his Soul ran for protection to the Lord once more, raising his offering also from Rs. 75.000 to Rs. 1,00,000 The third day also the gun refused to kill the condemned. Now,
11 Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat