Antiquity of Jainism

Author(s): Mahaveer Saran Jain
Publisher: Mahaveer Saran Jain

Page 24

Many legends have gathered round Parshva. Throughout his life, he was connected with 'snakes'in one way or the other. In his childhood, for instance, while he lay by the side of his mother, a serpent was seen crawling about. When he grew up, he saved a serpent from the grave danger it was in. He also saved a poor terrified snake which had taken shelter in a log of wood to which a Brahmanic ascetic had set fire. After its death, the snake became God Dharanendra who spread a serpent's hood over Parshva.
According to Svetambaras, Parshva was married to Prabhavati, the daughter of Prasenajit the king of Kaushala. But according to Digambaras, Parshva was unmarried. He lived for thirty years in great splendor and happiness as a householder, and then, forsaking all his wealth, became an ascetic. After 84 days of intense meditation, he attained the perfect knowledge of a
Tirthankar, and from that time, he lived for about seventy years in the state of most exalted perfection and sainthood. At last, he attained NirvaaNa22 (liberation) in