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आठवाँ अध्ययन : मल्ली
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CORRETORRON
EIGHTH CHAPTER: MALLI: INTRODUCTION
Title-Malli— The name of the nineteenth Tirthankar. It is obvious that the life of all great persons is filled with inspiring and educating incidents, but the story of the evolution and progress of the soul that was Arhat Malli is unique even among them. Even a minute aberration in feelings results in karmic bondage and even the purest of souls can not escape suffering the consequences. The story of the life of Arhat Malli is a vivid exposition of such minute aberration and its consequences. As such her name stands out in the Jain literature as a unique example.
Gist of the Story-The name of the ruler of Veetshoka city in the Mahavideh area was Bal. He had a son named Mahabal. Once, senior ascetic Dharmaghosh arrived in the Kumbh garden outside the city. Inspired by his discourse, King Bal crowned prince Mahabal and got initiated as an ascetic.
King Mahabal had six childhood friends. They all did everything with mutual consent. Once, a senior ascetic came to the city. After listening to the preaching king Mahabal felt like renouncing the world. Mahabal conveyed his feelings to his friends. They also decided to get initiated. All of them transferred their kingdoms to their heirs and became ascetics.
They decided with mutual consent that whatever penance or practice any one of them starts all the others should do exactly the same. Mahabal, however, started cheating his friends. When others observed a one day fast he would observe a two day fast. Thus he secretly did more vigorous penance. Due to these guileful ways he acquired the Karma that would make him take the next birth as a female. Later Mahabal also indulged in the twenty auspicious practices and acquired the Tirthankar-nam-gotra-karma. After completing this pious life span they were born as gods in the Jayant dimension.
Completing the life-span in the dimension of gods Mahabal was born as Malli, the daughter of king Kumbh of Mithila. All the six friends of Mahabal were born as princes. They grew to be rulers of different states-Pratibuddha the king of Kaushal, Chandracchaya the king of Anga, Shankh the king of Kashi, Rukmi the king of Kunal, Adinshatru the king of Kuru, and Jitshatru the king of Panchal.
Malli grew to be a beautiful young woman. She became aware of her friends from the earlier birth through her Avadhi Jnana. Guided by her premonition she arranged to construct a large house of illusion. At the exact centre of this building there was a room with grills surrounded by six other connected rooms. At the centre of this room Malli got installed a life-size statue, an exact replica of her own self in gold. It was hollow with a hole at the top that was covered with a lotus. Malli started dropping one handful of the rich food she ate, inside the hollow statue every day:
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CHAPTER-8 : MALLI
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