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not become an ascetic but he extended all inspiration and help to those who desired to get initiated. This tremendous contribution towards the spread of religion resulted in his acquiring Tirthankar naam-gotra karma. He is destined to become the first Tirthankar, Padma, during the coming cycle of time.
King Shrenik died in extremely adverse circumstances. His and Chelna's son, Konik, conspired to arrest him and put him in a cage, where he swallowed poison hidden in his ring and died.
According to scriptural mentions king Shrenik was born in 614 B.C.. 15 years before the birth of Bhagavan Mahavir and died in 552 B.C., also 15 years before Bhagavan Mahavir's nirvana.
8. QUEEN CHELNA
Chelna was the principal queen of king Shrenik, who was madly in love with her. It was Chelna who inspired king Shrenik to accept Jain religion and he became a devotee of Bhagavan Mahavir.
Chelna was the seventh and the youngest daughter of king Chetak of Vaishali. She had six elder sisters, of which five were married to famous kings of that period and the sixth, Sujyeshtha became a Shramani. The seventh daughter Chelna was married to king Shrenik.
This marriage was performed in unusual and sensational circumstances.
Attracted by the beauty of Sujyeshtha (till that time she had not got initiated and was unmarried), king Shrenik sent his emissary to king Chetak of Vaishali and sought the hand of Sujyeshtha in marriage.
But king Chetak refused point blank. The reason given was that king Shrenik belonged to a family of lower status. Another reason might be that king Chetak was a staunch Jain whereas, till that time king Shrenik was a Buddhist. It is possible that king Chetak did not want to marry his daughter to king Shrenik for this reason.
After getting this refusal from king Chetak, king Shrenik followed the advise of crafty Abhaya Kumar. From the border of the Magadh empire a long tunnel was dug up to Vaishali. With the help of Abhaya Kumar's intrigues both Sujyeshtha and Chelna got attracted to king Shrenik and were ready to elope with him.
On the appointed day and time both the sisters, Sujyeshtha and Chelna, arrived at the gate of the tunnel. There was still some time left when king Shrenik's chariot was to arrive, when Sujyeshtha realized that she had left her box of jewellery in her room. She told Chelna-"She had forgotten to bring her box of jewellery and shall fetch it soon. In the mean time if Magadh emperor comes he should wait for her." Saying thus she left.
Antakriddasha Mahima
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