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શાશ્વત સૌરભ ભાગ-૧
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Purimatala and seated under a banyan tree lost in deep meditation, he attained omniscienced reaching the supreme state of liberation or KEVAL MUKTHI. This memorable event in the religious annals of India took place of the 11th of the dark half of the month of Phalguna in the Uttarasadha constellation. Rishabha became the first omniscient teacher endowed with supreme wisdom and this memorable day in the annals of India ushered a new era of peace and prosperity among all classes of sentient life. People honoured Rishabha as a World Teacher. According to the holy sciptures, Indra, the Lord of the celestial world with his retinue of DEVAS descended on Kailsagiri to celebrate the event of Keval-Knan-Kailasgiri of Bhagwan Rishabha. Indra erected a beautiful SAMAVASARANA, a raised pavilion of Kailasgiri ornamented with gold, silver and precious gems for Rishbha to deliver his first sermon on DHARMA and with postrations and adorations at his feet Indra and the Devas escorted the World Teacher to Kailasgiri to adorn the Samavasarna and deliver his sermon on Dharma. The Lord responded to Indra's request and went to Kailas for rolling the DHARMA CHAKRA, the Wheel of Law and Righteousness for the first time in the history of the world during the descending cycle of AVASARPINI. Seated in the SAMAVASARANA. Rishabha imparted the message of deliverance from all sufferings not only to mankind, but also to the DEVAS and all other living beings.
"So long thou shalt not refrain thyself from causing pains and troubles to they fellow creatures, thou shalt not refrain from causing pains and troubles to they fellow creatures, thou need not ever dream to be emancipated from the appalling dangers of the same."
"Acquire perfect knowledge of the law. He who has entered the road to the destruction of Karmas, who controls his mind,
speech and body, who has given up his possessions and relations and all under takings should walk about subduring senses."
The SUTRAKRITANGA and the RISHABHA GITA contain the gist of Rishabhadeva's teachings on Dharma of Ahimsa.
Rishabha made a tour of Aryan and non-Aryan countries and preached the Arhat Dharma to the people. The Lord founded the first Samgha consisting of monks and sent them to different parts of India for propagating the doctrines of Ahimsa and the right way of life for human liberation. The ARHAT DHARMA spread throughot, the four corner of India. The cultural and religious movement led by Rishabha captured the thoughts of the people and they accepted Rishabha as their teacher to lead them on the right way of life to attain emancipation from mundane sufferings.
Long before the birth of Mahavira, the Arhat Dharma was prevalent throughout India and it was the predominating religious thoughts of the people. There is evidence to prove that the religion of Ahimsa was followed by the entire people of India in those remote days. Tamil scriptures state that SRUTA KEVALIN Bhadabhahu and Chandragupta Maurya who came to Karnataka-Mysore in the 4th century B.C. were welcomed by Jains of South India. Agasthya who came to Tamilnadu from Northern India was the pioneer Jaina missionary to preach the Arhat Dharma thousands and thousands of year after the Nirvana of Rishabha. Agashthya is believed top be the originator of the Tamil script. He composed a Tamil grammatical work entitled AGATHIYAM, but it is no more extant today. Agasthya settled down at Pothyar hill in Tinnevelly district in Tamilnadu. His chief disciple Tolkapiyar composed a literary work called TOLKAPIYAM in which are references to the doctrines of ARHAT DHARMA preached by Rishabha.
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