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VrushniDasha-Upang-12- Chapter-1
Aware of Prince Nishadh's train of thoughts, Arhat Arishtanemi along with his eighteen thousand ascetic disciples, moving from one village to another, came to the Nandanavan garden in Dvaravati. People came out and moved in the direction of the garden to pay homage and obeisance to him.
Prince Nishadh also got the news of Arhat Arishtanemi's arrival and he was pleased and contented. Riding a four-bell chariot he also left, like Jamali, with all his grandeur and opulence, to pay homage to Bhagavan. In the end he also took permission from his parents, got initiated and became a completely celibate ascetic.
After getting initiated ascetic Nishadh lived with the senior ascetic disciples of Arhat Arishtanemi 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 nine 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 twenty one days duration and avoiding forty two meals embraced meditational death after doing pratikraman (critical review) at the moment of his death.
Then realizing that ascetic Nishadh had met his end ascetic Varadatt came to Arhat Arishtanemi and conveyed—"Beloved of gods! Where has your noble, simple, and humble disciple ascetic Nishadh gone after his death? Where has he reincarnated?
Arhat Arishtanemi replied—"Varadatt! My noble, simple, and humble disciple ascetic Nishadh lived with my senior ascetic disciples 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 nine 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 twenty one days duration and avoiding forty two meals embraced meditational death after doing pratikraman (critical review) at the moment of his death. Crossing the stellar dimensions including the moon, the sun, planets, constellations and stars; the Achyut dimensions including Saudharm and Ishan; the three hundred eighteen Graiveyak Vimans and going even higher he has reincarnated as a god in the Sarvarthasiddha Viman (celestial vehicle). Gods in that dimension have a life-span of thirty three Sagaropam (a metaphoric unit of time)."
On hearing this ascetic Vardatt asked further—"Bhante ! Completing the age, state, and life in the dimension of gods and descending from that abode of gods, where will that Nishadh Dev go? (Where will he be born?)"
Bhagavan Arishtanemi said, "Vardatt! He will be born as a prince in a royal family of a noble clan in Unnak city in the Mahavideh area of the Jambudveep continent. Crossing his childhood and maturing into youth he will get enlightened by senior ascetics, acquire righteous knowledge, renounce his household and get initiated. He will become a completely celibate ascetic observing self regulation and other ascetic codes.
After this he will lead ascetic life for many years enkindling his soul by observing a variety of unusual austerities including fasting for one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, or ten days, a fortnight or a month. Then he will purify his soul by observing the ultimate vow (sallekhana) of month long duration avoiding sixty meals. During this period he will follow all the codes including sleeping on a plank, reclining and sitting on wood and hay, pulling out hair, remaining celibate, entering houses of others to seek alms, living only on whatever alms are Aagam - 23 - Vrushnidasha
Compiled by - Deepratnasagar
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