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F05 Story - Stories after Bhagwan Mahävir
03 - Temples of Delwädä
Vastupäl and Tejpal Two brothers, Vastupäl and Tejpal, were ministers in the court of King Vir-Dhavala in Gujarat. Tejpal was also a very outstanding commander of the army. Both brothers made their name by their valor and faithfulness. They helped the king to conquer enemies and maintain law and order in the kingdom. Tejpal's wife, Anupamä-devi, was a wise and smart woman who always helped her husband in family matters. She was sweet spoken and a very religious and compassionate woman. Tejpal had always respected her opinion. Once, the families of both the brothers and many others went on a pilgrimage. They came to a small village. This particular area was not regarded as very safe for the pilgrims because the road was frequented with burglars. Thinking that they might meet some burglars on the way, the brothers decided to bury and hide their wealth in the nearby area. They started digging a hole, but to their amazement, they unearthed a big pot of jewels and coins from the ground. They simply did not know what to do with this wealth. Tejpal asked Anupamä-devi what they should do with this immense wealth. Anupamä-devi had no hesitation in replying that this wealth had come from a deep trench, but the right place for it was on a high mountain. This would spread the glory of Jainism. Thus, they decided to take it to the top of the mountain and spend it there. The brothers decided to build a temple on Mt. Abu. It is known as the Lunig Vasahi Temple. Tirthankar Neminath Bhagawan's samavasaran has also been carved in this temple. Tejpal had also dedicated two Gokhlas (niches) for two women, one to commemorate his wife and the other to commemorate his brother's wife (sister-in-law). These niches are called "Deräni-Jethäni nä Gokhlas" (The wives of two brothers are known as Deräni-Jethäni. Deräni is the younger brother's wife and Jethäni is the older brother's wife). They constructed many more temples of which only the Delwädä temple and the Neminäth Temple of Mount Girnar exist today. However, the Lunig Vasahi Temple of Mount Abu is similar to that of the Vimalshä Temple. Fifty-two deva kulikas (subsidiary shrines) have also been constructed on an elevated platform around the central temple, each with the statue of a Tirthankar. Elephants were used to carry the marble to Mount Abu for the construction of the temples. A place called Hasti Shälä is also built within the temple complex to commemorate the contribution of elephants. Moral: The contribution made by Vimalshä, Vastupäl, and Tejpal to the architecture of Jain temples is very inspiring. Their dedication to their religion, and their perseverance and honesty are praiseworthy. Their contribution to Jain architecture is part of our great heritage. Highlights:
Vimal was the son of Virmati and Vir Mahattam (advisor to King Mulräj, founder of the Solanki dynasty). Vimal was bold and smart. He liked horseback riding and archery. He steadily gained expertise in those arts and in due course turned out to be a well-known equestrian and an accomplished archer. Vimal's father took diksha and his mother raised him and his two brothers. Vimal joined the army of the King. He was married to Shridevi, the daughter of a multimillionaire of Patan. He had no children and he decided to invoke Ambikä Devi, the goddess in service of Tirthankar Neminäth, and ask her for blessings. The goddess was pleased and asked him what he wanted. Since he could ask for only one wish, he asked for the capability to construct a monumental
temple at Chandraväti, instead of a son. • Then Vimalshä selected a site for the temple on top of a mountain and bought the land for 45,
360,000 gold coins. It took 14 years to finish the project and the temple was constructed at a cost of 185, 300,000 gold coins.
Vimalsha and his wife still wanted a child, but a later incident caused them to forsake that wish. • Two brothers, Vastupäl and Tejpal, were ministers in the court of King Vir-Dhavala in Gujarat. Page 376 of 398
Compendium of Jainism - 2015
