________________
worthless nature of the physical body, he got enlightened. His attitudes underwent a change from mundane to spiritual and he became an omniscient while still in his grand palace. After this he became an ascetic, led an itinerant life for a long time and got liberated.
This story of Bharat chakravarti from ancient scriptures like commentary on Avash vak by Malayagiri, reveals that Bharat was a person with few karmas and a detached attitude. He neither had to indulge in austerities for long nor had to suffer acute pain or afflictions in order to attain liberation. He got liberated after a long but pleasant ascetic life.
This is an example of the first type of antakriya-little suffering, simple austerities and long ascetic life.
Second Antakriya
The second antakriya is exactly opposite of the first one. Here a person is born with a heavy load of karmas but after a short ascetic life with harsh austerities and suffering acute afflictions, he sheds all these karmas. Although there is a high density of karmas but the blow of harsh austerities, tolerating acute afflictions and purity of meditation is also of very high intensity. That is why even the complex knots of karmas get loosened in no time.
An example of this type of antakriya is ascetic Gajasukumal, who destroyed all the dense and voluminous karmas and got liberated.
GAJASUKUMAL The story of Gajasukumal is available in Antakriddasha Sutra. Queen Devaki, wife of king Vasudev, was Vaasudev Shrikrishna's mother. As Shrikrishna and all her other sons were born in the prison of Kamsa, she never had the satisfaction of fondling and caring of a child. Deprived of this pleasure she always remained sad. To fulfill his mother's desire, Shrikrishna sought help of Harinagameshi god. Devaki was blessed with a son due to this divine influence. As the child was very delicate he was named Gajasukumal and was brought up with loving care.
In Dvarka lived a rich Brahmin family. The head of the family was Somil and his wife was Somashri. The couple had a beautiful daughter named Soma.
Once Bhagavan Arishtanemi came to Dvarka. Vaasudev Shrikrishna went to pay homage to him. On the way he happened to see Soma playing around in a group of girls. Shrikrishna liked her very much and considered her to be a very suitable match for his younger brother Gajasukumal. He called the girl's father and made the engagement. Somil was honoured and happy. Soma was sent to Shrikrishna's palace to be brought up as a princess.
Antakriddasha Mahima
• 329
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
