Agam 08 Ang 08 Antkrutdashang Sutra Sthanakvasi

Author(s): Amarmuni, Shreechand Surana, Rajkumar Jain, Purushottamsingh Sardar
Publisher: Padma Prakashan

Page 520

Cunningham says that exactly 24 miles from Bhagalpur is Patthar Ghat. Near it. towards west there is a large village named Champa Nagar and a small village named Champapur.
Based on the views of these scholars it can be casily inferred that the said two villages are the remains of the ancient Champa city and Champa city was situated here only.
Purnabhadra Chaitya
This chaitva was located outside Champa city in the north-east direction. It had an image of Purnabhadra vukshu. It was a ruksh-temple and was named on the ruling deity.
The walls of the temple were decorated with frescoes. It was very old. The city people praised it. It was famous for its miraculous effects. The devotees of the vaksha found justice here. It had a dome and a flag. Its walls were also decorated with palm prints made of gorocham and sandal pastes. Inside it were placed auspicious urns. Heaps of fresh flowers could always be found there. It was always filled with the fragrance of Agur, Kupar ctc.
People respected and worshiped the deity and made a variety of offerings. All this made it very attractive.
Explanation of the Meaning of the word Chaitya--This term has numerous meanings like knowledge (as cheiam in tikkuutto sura); Bhagavan: a respected person; appreciater of virtues: trunk of a tree: a memorial raised at the place of cremation: deity etc.
Generally the term chuitva is believed to be related with chita or funeral pyre. In ancient times it was a tradition to plant a tree at the place of cremation of a prominent person in his memory. It was called chairya-tree.
Later constructed memorials became a fashion. The Sarnath Stupa of Sanchi is one such evidence. This tradition still prevails.
But in present context god or raksha appears to be the appropriate meaning and Chairvaulan means a temple of vaksla. Details of numerous chaithuvitans, where ascetics indulged in meditational practices, is available in scriptures. Bhagavan Mahavir also did his spiritual practices in a number of chaitras.
The importance of the Purnabhadra chaitva here is because Ganadhai Sudharma recited the 8th Anga here for Arya Jambu.
Vanakhand
Around Purnabhadra chuitva was a dense vanakhand (jungle). It had numerous dense trees filled with a variety of flowers, fruits and leaves. The thickets of trees were so close that only black, blue and green hue was visible.
Explanation-In modern terminology it would be better to call vanakhand a garden
Antakriddasha Mahima
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