$JES 302 Jain Philosophy Level 3 Book

Author(s): JAINA Education Committee
Publisher: JAINA Education Committee

Page 45

DREAMS OF MOTHER TRISHALA Chapter 10 - Dreams of Mother Trishalä
Tirthankar Mahävir's soul was a heavenly god in the tenth heaven before being born as Prince Vardhamän. At midnight on the sixth day of the bright half of Ashädh, his Ayushya Karma ended, and so did his life as a heavenly god (Dev). His soul transmigrated to earth and was conceived in the womb of a Brahmin lady named Devananda. That night Devananda had 14 unique dreams. She woke up and told her husband about the dreams. He told her that their son would be a great one and gifted with many virtues. 82 days later, on the thirteenth day of the month of Aso, Saudharma Indra, the King of heavenly gods was in his court. His throne started shaking, so he used his special power (Avadhijnän), through which he can see distant things. He learned that Lord Mahävir's soul had been conceived in Devananda's womb who belongs to Brahmin caste. For a moment he was puzzled, but then he realized that this was the result of Lord Mahävir's Gotra (caste or social standing) karma from his previous life. In the life of Marichi (3rd life), Lord Mahävir bragged about his race (caste), indicating that his race is the best among all other races existed then (At that time in India, Brahmins earn their living by performing religious rituals for warrior caste people such as king. Hence it was considered that the warrior caste is the best among all other castes).
However Indra said to himself, "Tirthankar may be conceived in any caste due to his/her Karma but he/she must born in a Kshatriya (warrior) caste. It is the characteristics of a warrior caste to fight against evils. Mahävir's soul must take a birth in a warrior caste so that he will be able to fight his Karma until he attains Kevaljnän. I will move his soul (fetus) to a Kshatriya family." He summoned Angel Hari Naigamesin to his court and commanded him to migrate the fetus from the womb of Devananda to the womb of Queen Trishalä, the wife of King Siddhartha, and to migrate Queen Trishalä's fetus in Devananda's womb.
Angel Hari Naigamesin left the court of King Saudharma Indra to go to Devananda's home. With his divine speed, he soon arrived at the bedside of Devananda and paid his reverence to the soul of Lord Mahävir. With his divine power, he put Devananda into a deep sleep, removed the fetus and then left to go to Queen Trishala's palace.
Again with his divine speed, he reached Queen Trishalä's palace within a very short time. He used his divine power to put Queen Trishalä into a deep sleep and then he performed the exchange of the fetuses. Once again, he paid reverence to Lord Mahävir's soul. Then he left with the fetus of Queen Trishala and went to Devananda's home to replace the fetus in her womb. (Digambar sect believes that Mahävir was conceived by queen Trishala and not by Devanda). That night, Queen Trishalä had the fourteen great dreams (sixteen dreams as per Digambar tradition). The dreams filled her with immense wonder and joy. She woke her husband, King Siddhartha and told him what she saw in the dreams. He told her that those dreams seemed very auspicious. The next day, King Siddhartha summoned scholars to his court and asked them about the meaning of these dreams.
JAIN PHILOSOPHY AND PRACTICE