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| The Previous Lives of Lord Mahavira
king of Vanita which at that time was one of the most magnificient cities of Bharata-kshetra, where Bharata the Chakravarti son of Lord Rishabha ruled very honestly as the universal monarch. The soul of would-be Lord Mahavira was born to Chakravarti Bharata as a son who was named Marichi. This was the third birth of the Lord Mahavira.
One day Chakravarti Bharata took his son Marichi to the Samavasarana (the audience-hall of a Tirthankara) of Lord Rishabhadeva with the intention that he might also have an opportunity to listen to the religious sermons of the Lord. It was the first chance for Marichi to hear the religious teachings of Lord Rishabha. His contact with the saints and performance of charitable deeds in previous lives had already prepared ground for him to realize the unstability of this world. The delay was due to a change of body and what was now wanted was something to tickle his memory and remind him of his spiritual attainments. And it is no wonder that he accepted consecration as soon as he listened to the inspiring teachings of Lord Rishabhadeva. The newly initiated Marichi now began to take part in going for Vihara ( roaming from place to place ) with Lord Rishabhadeva. Thus he spent the major portion of his life in the company of Lord Rishabhadeva and in solitary roamings.
One day saint Marichi was roaming about. It was the time of summer and the rays of the sun fell quite perpendicularly to the ground. The wind was blowing hot and he felt a deadly thirst, which agitated his mind very much. The Charitra-Mohaniya Karman (a variety of Mohaniya karman the maturing of which hinders right conduct) of
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