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VrushniDasha-Upang-12- Chapter-1
During that period of time lived Acharya Siddharth, who was as accomplished a scholar as Keshi Shraman but just short of four kinds of knowledge. He arrived with his large family of disciples at the temple of Manidatt Yaksh in Meghavan garden in Rohitak city. He formally sought for a place of stay suitable for ascetics and stayed there. Masses gathered to pay homage and attend his religious discourse.
Prince Virangad heard the tumultuous noise of the crowd and saw the masses going in one direction. Like Jamali, he also went to pay homage to the Acharya and after listening to the discourse got inspired to get initiated. Like Jamali he also told Acharya Siddharth about his intention of seeking permission from his parents and getting initiated. Later he got initiated and became a completely celibate ascetic.
After that Virangad ascetic lived with Acharya Siddharth and studied eleven Angas (the primary canons or the main corpus of the Jain canonical texts) including Samayik. After this he led ascetic life for forty five years enkindling his soul by observing a variety of austerities including fasting for two or more days. In the end he took the ultimate vow (sallekhana) of two month duration, avoiding one hundred and twenty meals embraced meditational death after doing pratikraman (critical review) at the moment of his death. He reincarnated as a god in ManoramViman (celestialvehicle) in Brahmalok (divinedimension). Many gods in that dimension have a life-span of ten Sagaropam (a metaphoric unit of time). Lifespan of Virangad god is also said to be10 Sagaropam (a metaphoric unit of time)
On completing his divine life-span in Brahmalok Kalp that Virangad god has descended and reincarnated in this Dvaravati as son of King Baldev and queen Revati. (Before his birth) Queen Revati saw a lion in her dream while she was sleeping in her comfortable bed. In due course she gave birth to a son, he matured and was married. He spends his life enjoying mundane pleasures in his exclusive mansion.
0 Vardattv! This is why this Nishadh Kumar has acquired all this opulence of
human life.
Ascetic Vardatt again asked-"Bhante! Does Prince Nishadh have the ability to get initiated by you?" Bhagavan Arishtanemi said "Yes, Vardatt, he has.
"Bhante! What you say is, indeed, true." With these words ascetic Vardatt resumed his itinerant way enkindling his soul through austerities and ascetic-discipline.
In due course Arhat Arishtanemi left Dvaravati and wandered about in other inhabited areas. Acquiring the knowledge of fundamentals including the living and the nonliving, Prince Nishadh became a Shramanopasak (a devotee of Shramans).
Then one day Prince Nishadh came to his Paushadh-shala (place of meditation). He sat on a mattress made of hay, took the paushadh vow (partial ascetic vow under which a householder lives like an initiated ascetic for a specific period) and commenced meditation. While Nishadh was engrossed in meditation, a thought emerged from the depths of his heart"Blessed are the inhabitants of those villages, and other inhabited areas where Arhat Arishtanemi moves about and also blessed are those kings, princes,... and so on up to... caravan chiefs who get the opportunity of paying homage to Arhat Arishtanemi and doing his worship. If moving from one village to another, Arhat Arishtanemi comes here in Nandanavan I too will get the opportunity of paying homage to Arhat Arishtanemi and doing his worship."
Compiled by - Deepratnasagar
Aagam 23 Vrushnidasha
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