________________
841
[The Twenty-two Tirthankaras
territories. This event will be described at a greater length in the chapter dealing with the history of previous births of Lord Mahavira in this book.
Fifty-four Saga ropamas after the Liberation of the eleventh Tirthankars, Shri Vasu-Pujyaji was born in Champa-puri on the fourteenth Full Moon day of Phalguna. He was the twelfth Tirthankara. His parents were king Vasu-Pujya and queen Jaya Devi. Lord Vasupujya led a domestic life for eighteen lacs of years, after which, he was consecrated in the royal orchard, on the Amavasya (New Moon day) of Phalgun. He obtained Kevala- Jnana, on the second New Moon day of Magha after this, and observed his vow of asceticism for fifty-four lacs of years. Thus, he exhausted all his Karmans, and attained Liberation on the fourteenth New Moon day of Ashadha. In his time, the Baladeva named Vijaya was born of queen Subhadra wife of king Brahamadeva of Dvarika. King Brahamadeva's second Queen was Uma, who gave birth to Vasudeva Dvi-Prishta. At the same time, Shrimati, wife of king Shri-Dhara of Vijaya-pura, gave birth to a Prati-Vasudeva named Taraka. It was after defeating and killing this Taraka in battle that Dvi-Prishta brought three Khandas (parts of continents) under his control and became second Vasudeva after that.
The Thirteenth Tirthankara was Shri Vimala Nathaji. He was born on the third New Moon day of Magha, thirty Sagaropamas after the salvation of the twelfth Tirthankara. His birth place was Kapilpuri, where his father KritaVarma was king. The name of his mother was Shyama Devi. He ruled very magnificently for forty five lacs of years and, then, accepted consecration in his own royal orchard, on the
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
