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F05 Story Stories after Bhagwän Mahävir
03 Temples of Delwädä
As he remembered his involvement in past wars, he felt very sorry for the violence and sins he had committed. He sincerely repented for it. In view of his genuine repentance, the achärya asked him to construct a temple at Chandraväti and make it a center of pilgrimage to help atone for the violence caused during the wars. Vimalshä was pleased to hear this suggestion and made up his mind to construct a grand temple.
He was also a devotee of Ambikä Devi, the goddess in service of Tirthankar Neminäth. He decided to invoke her in order to get her blessings. The goddess was pleased with the earnestness of his worship and asked him what he wanted. He asked for a son and the capability to construct a monumental temple at Chandraväti. However, the goddess asked him to select one of the two. Vimalshä opted for the temple. Goddess Ambikä granted his wish.
Then Vimalshä selected a site for the temple on top of a mountain and bought the land for 45, 360,000 gold coins. The foundation stone was laid with deep faith. However, it was not easy to construct the temple. It was a Herculean task. Artisans were not locally available, there was no road leading from the foot of the mountain to the top, and marble had to be brought from a great distance. Vimalshä was determined to complete the project at any cost. He made all the necessary arrangements for transporting the materials to the top and hired the best sculptors in the country for carrying out the work.
All possible care was taken to see that the artisans did not face any difficulty, and the project did not encounter any problems. It took 14 years to finish the project, and the temple was constructed at a cost of 185, 300,000 gold coins. The opening ceremony was performed with great fanfare and enthusiasm under the guidance of Dharmaghosh-suri, Vardhamän-suri, and other achäryas.
It is a spacious, marble temple. There are highly artistic figures in its domes, arcs, and panels. The sculptures are exquisite. It would be nearly impossible to bring out that sort of accuracy even in wax. The fact that the artists have done it in marble is marvelous, and draws the instantaneous admiration of every visitor. These types of sculptures are not found anywhere else in the world. It is said that Vimalshä paid the artists in gold. The artisans collected the marble dust that they had carved for the day and brought it in and had it weighed. The person in charge would give them gold equal to the weight of stone powder! His generosity and the beauty of the temple have immortalized his name. It is virtually a wonder of the world. Later on, Vimalshä led a Jain sangh to the Shatrunjay Mountain located in the town of Palitana that cost 40 million gold coins. He constructed the Vimal-vasahi temple there. It is located on the way to the main complex on the hill. It is a small but equally exquisite temple. It is popularly known as Bhulbhulämani temple, meaning a maze temple. He also constructed the well-known temples of Kumbhäriä on the Äräsur hill on the northern border of Gujarat. Moreover, he is credited with the construction of a beautiful temple in the capital city of Patan
One successful but highly instructive anecdote is associated with his later life. It is said that Shridevi had a dream in which she saw a goddess. The goddess asked her to go to the temple along with her husband at midnight on a specific date and ask for whatever they wanted. Both of them were eager to have a son and went to the temple to express their wish. While they were waiting for midnight to arrive, they felt thirsty. Vimalshä therefore went to an adjoining well to fetch water. Inside the well there were steps which went all the way down to the water level. While he was going down the steps to get the water, someone asked him to pay toll for taking water. Vimalshä was amazed to hear that and asked the person why he was demanding toll to drink the water. The person replied that he was a descendent of the person who had built the well. Since he was poor, he was collecting a toll for using the well.
Vimalshä was taken aback to hear that. He asked himself, "What would happen if one day some of my own descendants tried to collect a toll for the temple that I have built?" He shuddered at the idea and again asked himself whether it would be better in that case to remain without a child. He went up and told his wife about the incident. She concurred with his thinking. At midnight when the goddess asked them what they in the capital city of Pätan. wanted, Shridevi replied that she did not want a child anymore. Now, it was the turn of the goddess to be taken aback. Vimalshä narrated what he had experienced and said that they wanted to remain childless.
Compendium of Jainism - 2015
Page 375 of 398
