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Preface
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The speech of great men has such astonishing power that when they analyze some theme the audience is spellbound. Their sermon is the essence filtered through the strainer of their profound spiritual experience; it has nothing that could be called worthless. One among these great men was Shraman Bhagavan Mahavir, whose sermons were compiled by highly accomplished Ganadhars in the form of Dwadashangi (the twelve limbed canon). The corpus was further enriched by the lineage of accomplished ascetic disciples and is now available as Agam literature, the source of spiritual light for the whole world. Bhagavati Sutra is the work that is popularly known as the ocean of knowledge among these Agamic scriptures. There is no topic of universal knowledge that has not been discussed in it, directly or indirectly. Detailed information about this Agam has already been given in the preface of the first volume, as such there is no need to repeat it here.
In the already published three volumes of this book chapters one to nine have been covered. Now this book includes chapters 10-12 and three lessons of chapter 13.
The tenth chapter has lessons describing the directions, restrained homeless-ascetic, inner powers, Shyamahasti (a disciple of Bhagavan Mahavir), goddesses, divine assembly, and northern inner-islands.
The eleventh chapter contains the story of Shiva Rajarshi of Hastinapur, who first got initiated as Dishaprokshak hermit but later became a disciple of Bhagavan Mahavir. The reason for his becoming a disciple of Bhagavan has been lucidly discussed. Besides this the chapter includes Merchant Sudarshan's questions about time and stories of Mahabal and Rishibhadraputra of Aalaabhika city.
The fortnightly partial-ascetic vow of Shravaks Shankh and Pokkhali in Shravasti city is discussed in chapter twelfth. The chapter also includes some questions of Jayanti Shramanopaasika about jiva(soul/living being) and easily understandable enlightening answers by Bhagavan Mahavir.
Jayanti Shramanopaasika asked — “Bhante! How do souls soon attain heaviness? Bhagavan Mahavir says — “Jayanti! Through indulgence in eighteen activities of sin including harming or destruction of life. And by abstaining from these, souls soon attain lightness." Jayanti - "Bhante! What is good for living beings - to remain sleeping or awake?” Bhagavan - "Jayanti! It is better for some to remain sleeping and for some to remain awake. It is better for irreligious to remain asleep because when awake they indulge in sinful deeds. It is good for a religious person to be awake because as long he is awake he indulges in pious deeds."
On the same theme Kabir also says in a couplet — “Awaken the sleeping saint who will chant the name of the Lord. These three are best sleeping - a rascal, a lion and a snake."
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