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Ancient Jaina Hymns
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(xii) The sound of divine drums keeps accompanying his
voice. (xiii) A pleasant breeze keeps blowing. (xiv) The birds fly around him in the auspicious direction. (xv) Showers of fragrant water fall. ( xvi) Divine flowers of all the five colours fall in showers
and cover the ground keep-deep. (xvii) His hair and nails do not grow. (xviii) At least one crore of gods and genii are always near
him to serve him. (xix ) The weather is always pleasant.
All these fatisayas' are enumerated in the Munisuvratastavana ( st. 8-13). Seven out of those mentioned under ( b ) and (c), viz., the Aśoka tree, the flower-rain, the chowries, the throne, the halo, the divine drums, and the three parasols, with the addition of a further item, viz., divine music accompanying the Lord's voice (generally quoted as the third in stereotyped order ), form the ‘eight pādihera', or ‘pratihārya’.99 They are described in the VarakāņaPārsvanātha-stavana ( st. 20 ff.) in detail.
Besides, the voice of the Tīrtharikara is described as possessing 35 special merits“0, his body as adorned with 1008 auspicious characteristics“), and his mind as free from 18 weaknesses which inhere in ordinary human beings2. References to these characteristics are given in the Munisuvrata-stavana ( st. 14 )“.
The latter hymn also mentions some further features generally connected with a Tirtharkara's appearing. Thus there are the 12 'pārşadah' ( st. 18 ), i.e., groups of listeners who surround the Lord in the 'Samavasarana' hall, viz., the four classes of gods and goddesses, male and female Jaina ascetics, and human laymen and laywomen.44 Then there is that miraculous power of the Lord simultaneously to answer all the questions and dissolve all the doubts that may arise in the minds of any number of individuals of his vast audience ( st. 16 )45. There is, moreover, that mode of argumentation
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