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PART I TIRTHANKARS
03-Bhagawan Mallinath
A long time ago, King Mahäbal ruled over the city of Veetshoka in the Mahävideha region of Jambudweep. King Mahabal had six very close childhood friends. The seven of them were so close that they did everything together. None of them would do anything without seeking the advice of the others.
Prince Mahäbal and six friends
One day, a well-known Ächärya named Dharmaghosh-suri came to Veetshoka. King Mahabal and his friends went to listen to his sermon and were very impressed. Mahäbal realized that extreme misery and pain exists in living a worldly life, so he decided to renounce worldly life. Upon sharing his intentions with his friends, they agreed to do the same. His friends also renounced their worldly lives along with him. King Mahäbal and his six friends became monks and disciples of Ächärya Dharmaghosh-suri.
As monks, these seven friends observed austerities, meditation and restraints together. However, during meditation, Mahäbal felt an intense compassion and motherly love (Vätsalya Bhäv) to help free every living being from suffering and to guide them towards liberation. Because of this intense compassion towards every living being, Mahäbal acquired Tirthankar-Näm-Karma. At the same time, because of his intense motherly love, he acquired the karma that he would be born as a female in the future, according to Shvetambar tradition. However, Digambar tradition indicates that Mallinäth was male.
All seven friends continued to observe increasingly difficult austerities and remained in deep meditation throughout their lives. At the end of their lives, they all attained a heavenly abode. After completing their heavenly life spans, Mahäbal and his six friends were born in different places as human beings.
During this time King Kumbha was ruling over the city of Mithilä, India. He had a queen named Prabhävati. While she was pregnant, she saw 14 (16 by the Digambar tradition) pious dreams indicating the arrival of a Tirthankar soul. Since Mahäbal had earned the Tirthankar-Näm-Karma and a female gender karma, his soul descended into
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JAIN STORY BOOK
