Atma the Self

Author(s): Punyadarshanvijay
Publisher: Sanmarg Prakashan

Page 99

.. ATMĂ
T he Selt.....
attainment of Omniscience - the stage of perfection and purity. Mahāvira finally annihilated four major Karma (Ghāti Karma) and attained Kēvalajñana (Dynamic Omniscience stage). Precisely 12 Years 6 months and 15 days after his renouncing the princely state in pursuit of his goal he was able to comprehend the mechanism of the universe as a whole and human nature in particular, which led him to discover the root of all problems.
It was a very significant event of his fruitful initial sermon after omniscience to an audience that it included Indrabhūti Gautama', a Brahmin, who was a scholar of repute, great authority on Vedic-scriptures and exceedingly proud of his knowledge. Through this encounter Gautama became the chief disciple - 'Ganadhara'. Lord Mahavira had eleven Ganadhara as his inner circle.
Lord Mahavira attained Siddhatva in the year 527 B. C.
NOTE : Ozone
Scientists are seriously agitated regarding ozone and its likey effects on this earth (a part of Bharata Kșētra, which forms a small portion of Jambūdvipa).
Lord Mahavira in his last discourse had also mentioned that at the end of the fifth period of 21,000 years of the descending time-cycle (18.481 years hence), there would be five types of heavy rain-falls, like acidic, salty. poisonous and disease - creatbe, extreme hot temperature, fire-rains (Agnivarşā) and very heavy lighening flashes all over 'Bharata' area for five weeks would destroy all vegetation and other life-forms except the species of some birds, animals and human beings, who had taken shelter in caves.
Days being extremely hot, with raging dust-storms, people would stay in underground shelters and venture out only at freezing cold nights. There would be no fire (flame). Their survival will be only on fishes and marine life. There would be no religion, the people would behave and live like animals. having no family moral codes, longevity upto 20 years with height of about 30 inches, women would conceive at the age of six and would have many children. Many other details are given including the time when rejuvenation and how it would happen at the ascending second period onward. The time-cycle is a continuous feature for all the Bharata and the Airāvata areas.
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