Jaina Gazette 1928

SR No.: 034890
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Ajitprasad, C S Mallinath
Publisher: Jaina Gazettee Office
Publication Year: 1928
Total Pages: 502
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 33 MB

Page 44

LORD MAHAVIRA
199
though He sometimes made long journeys to Sravasti near the Nepalese frontier in the north, and to the Parasnath hills in the south. He stayed 1 rainy season in Asthikagrama. 3 in Champa and Pristichampa, 12 in Vaishali and Vanigagrama, 14 in Rajgriha and the suburb of Nalanda, 6 in Mithila, 2 in Bhadrika, 1 in Sravasti, 1 in Bajrabhumi among the wild tribes. 1 in 'Pava. He used to stay one night in'a village and five nights in a town. As to His mode of travelling, He always travelled on foot; when He had to cross any river, he took a boat.
The rainy season of the last year of His life, Lord Mahavira passed at Pava * where He took His lodgings in the office of King Hastipala's writers. Here His Nirvana took place 526 B. C. at the age of 72 years. In his last hours, He spoke to those present (we should not omit to mention that Anand and Kamdeva among Sravaks and Sulasa and Revati among Sravikas were very prominent) many words of spiritual advice and comfort. On this occasion, Gautama who was sent by the Master on a mission to convert somebody, was absent. When the Lord had breathed His last, His body was washed with water and wrapped in cloth. It was, then, burnt on a sandal pyre.
On the spot where the body of the blessed Lord was cremated, a stupa was erected. On the day the Lord died, there appeared a great Graha on the sky which Stevenson supposes to have been the same comet that appeared at the time of the battle of Salamis. (480 B. C.) To mark the day of Nirvana of their departed Master the eighteen confederate Kings of Kashi and Koshala, the nine Mallakis and nine Likkhavis (the latter were tributary to Chetaka, King of Vaisali and maternal uncle of Mahavira) met together and instituted an illumination on the day of the new moon : for they said "since
* Pava is a small town situated in the Patna district. In the midst of a tank, there stands a temple which contains two very old foot prints sacred to Mahavira. Can we infer from this that the practice of erecting foot printe to the memory of Tirthankaras is earlier than that
of making their statues ? Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat