Atma the Self

Author(s): Punyadarshanvijay
Publisher: Sanmarg Prakashan

Page 97

ATMA
The Self....
Once in reply to a query from Bharata, "whether there is any one who would be a Tirthankara's soul in this august assembly?" The lord said, "your own son Marici will be the 24th Tirthankara." Then Bharata Cakravarti went to Marici, bowed most reverently, mentioning that he was paying respect to the 24th Tirthankara, but not to the ascetic. Marici danced with joy and exclaimed with unseemly vanity, pride and exaltation åt the family lineage: 'My grand father is the 1st Tirthankara, my father the 1st Cakravartī, l'll be the 1st Võsudēva (Sovereign of three continents) and the 24th Tirthankara. Thus he assimilated Karman of sin of heavy intensity and of long duration.
During his journey of births and rebirths he also had to go through the 7th hell, a lion's birth, again to the 4th hell. Jainism says that even a future/ would-be 'Omniscient Arhat' must also suffer for all the acts of compassion or cruelty by going through different existences inclusive of heaven and/or hell according to the Cosmic Law, until there is complete liberation from the Karmic matter. Four great Souls of would-be Tirthankara from the present Avasarpini (Time-Cycle) are now in hell as Infernal-beings- King Srēņika, and three Vāsudēva (Sovereigns of three continents) Rāvana and Lakşmaņa of the 'Rāmāyana' era and Krsna of the 'Mahābhārata' era. Even today Jainas pray & adore with reverence their Souls as future Tirtharkara.
Some of the major 27 Bhavas (Life-spans) of Lord Mahavira: 1st : Nayāsāra - Became Samakiti, in the Mahāvidēha Kșētra. 3rd : Marici - After being Jaina monk became Ascetic, Devoid of
Jaina Religion for a few major births. 18th : Triprustha Vasudev - 1st Vasudev - Hari (Sovereign of three
continents). As a rule all Vasudevas invariably have to go to hell. 19th : Infernal being - went to 7th hell. 20th : Lion - Birth of lion. 21st : Infernal being - Went to 4th hell. 23rd. : Priyamitra - Cakravarti - (Sovereign of six continents) in the
Mahāvidēha Kșētra. Renunciated - became a monk.
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