Bhagwan Mallinath

Author(s): JAINA Education Committee
Publisher: JAINA Education Committee

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BHAGAWAN MALLINÄTH
Mallinäth
A long time ago King Mahäbal ruled over the city of Veetshoka in Mahä-videha region of Jambudvipa. King Mahäbal had six very close childhood friends. All seven of them were so close that they did everything together. None of them did anything without seeking the advice of the others.
Prince Mahabal and six friends
Once a well-known Achärya named Dharmaghosh-suri came to Veetshoka city. King Mahäbal and his friends went to listen to his sermon and were very impressed. Mahäbal realized that extreme misery and pain exists in living a worldly life. He decided to renounce worldly life and shared his desire with his friends. His friends also agreed to renounce their worldly life along with him. King Mahäbal and his six friends became monks and disciples of Dharmaghosh-suri.
As monks, these seven friends observed austerities and restraints together. Unknown to his friends however, Mahäbal sought more than just freedom from the pains of worldly life. He had an intense desire to make every living being free from suffering and to guide them towards liberation. This desire leads to the acquisition of the Tirthankar-Näm-Karma. To achieve his objective, Mahäbal secretly observed longer austerities. Because of this intense penance, Mahäbal acquired Tirthankar-Näm-Karma. At the same time, because of this secrecy he acquired the karma that he would be born as a female in the future.
All of them continued to observe ever-increasing austerities throughout their lives. At the end of their lives, all of them attained a heavenly abode. After completing the heavenly life span, Mahäbal and his six friends were born as human beings in different places.
JAIN STORY BOOK
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