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Bhagawan Mahavir |
| 105
Marichi made a sudden appearance in him, on account of which he began to experience the vigour of a saintly life at every step. His mind became a great battle field where a fierce war broke out between the feelings of austere sainthood with its forces of substantiality, happiness, and the greatest of all the salvation on one side and the hollowness of a wordly life with its forces of unsubstantiality, sorrow, misery, and fear of falling into the cycle of births and deaths, on the other. He found himself on the horns of dilemma. He thought that if, at such a critical moment, he allowed his saintliness to give way, he would be nowhere. He also feared public censure. It was in fact the time of his trail. Marichi was just about to give way to his deadly thirst and to fall from his high position of sainthood when suddenly he struck upon an idea of leaving his saint-hood and becoming a Tridandi Ascetic.
Once Lord Rishabhadeva in the course of his roamings, chanced to come to Vanita, after a long period of time. Emperor Bharata worshipped his feet and listened to his teachings with great devotion. In the presence of all those who had assembled there to listen to the religious instructions of Lord Rishabhadeva, Bharata put a question to him in the following manner, "Is there any man, Oh Lord, in the midst among those present here who might attain Tirthankaraship, and lead the erring people of this world to self realisation. Lord Rishabhadeva pointed towards Marichi and said. 'This Marichi, who is your son, would be honoured with the title of 'Vira' he will be the last Tirthankara in Bharatakshetra. Before attaining to the position of Tirthankara he would have been a Vasudeva of Potanapura, where he will be called "Triprishta Vasudeva' and a Chakravarti
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