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________________ GANADHARS AND ACHARYAS When Jambu finished the religious discussion with his wives, all his wives were ready to renounce the world. At this time, Prabhav came inside and said that he had come there to steal but had decided to renounce everything after listening to Jambu's talk with his wives. He and his 500 followers made up their mind to become Jambu's disciples. In the morning, the citizens of Rajgrihi awoke to some surprising news. Jambu, his eight wives, the famous thief Prabhav, and his 500 followers were ready to renounce their worldly lives that day. Jambu's parents were saddened and disappointed that their wish did not materialize. They quickly realized the importance of Jambu's message and decided to join him also. Hearing the news and understanding the message, the parents of the eight brides also renounced the world. A spectacular procession followed Jambu on his way to see Sudharma-swami. Jambu bowed to Sudharma-swami and became his disciple and in turn, Prabhav and his colleagues became Jambu's disciples. Jambuswami, as he became known henceforth, studied the entire teachings of Lord Mahavir. Most of the original Jain scriptures (12 Anga Agams) are composed in the form of dialogues between Sudharmaswami and Jambuswami. Jambuswami became the head of the religious order when Sudharma-swami attained omniscience. He remained the head of the Jain order for 44 years and then he attained omniscience (Keval-jnan). He was the last omniscient (Kevali) of the current time cycle. He attained Nirvana at the age of 80. Jambuswami firmly believed in renouncing the worldly life from the moment he listened to the sermon of Sudharma-swami. In fact, his thoughts were so convincing that it ultimately led hundreds of others to follow him in their pursuit of liberation through the disciplined life of an ascetic. He realized that material happiness and enjoyment of physical beauty is all superficial and temporary. Also noteworthy is the burglar's decision to change his life from that of immorality to that of purity. The key is to focus on purifying the soul and helping others to do the same. 46 JAIN STORY BOOK Jain Education international For Private & Personal Use Only www.jainelibrary.org
| SR No. | 201048 |
| Book Title | Kevali Jambu Swami |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | JAINA Education Committee |
| Publisher | JAINA Education Committee |
| Publication Year | 2010 |
| Total Pages | 3 |
| Language | English |
| Classification | Article, Jaina_Education, & 0_Jaina_education_Story |
| File Size | 1 MB |