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Kalpasūtra
387
On the tenth day of the dark half of the month of Both the brothers were reborn nine times, and in four Margaśirsa (November-December) Mahāvira left home of these births the wicked soul killed the noble one. in a palanquin presented by Indra for the purpose. Gods In the tenth birth, the good soul was embodied in Pārsva and men accompanied him playing musical instruments, while the wicked one was born as Kamatha, an ascetic. blowing conches, chanting auspicious verses and ringing While Kamatha was in Pañcāgni tapas, Pārsvanātha bells.
freed a family of snakes burning in fire near Kamatha. The procession passing through the streets of the same head of the snake family was reborn as Kundagrāma reached a park known as Jñati-sanda- Dharana, the lord of the nāgas. Kamatha got enraged vana. In the park, under an asoka tree, Mahāvira shed and humiliated by the action of Pärsvanätha. his ornaments, garlands etc. and plucked out his hair After his death Kamatha was reborn as asura in five handfuls which was received by Indra in a Meghamalin. In revenge he caused a mighty storm on diamond cup (Pl. 255). Indra provided the divine robe Pārsvanātha when he was meditating and performing to Mahävira half of which was gifted by him to a austerities. The head of the snake family who was saved Brāhmana Soma and half of cloth was lost by Mahavira by Pārsvanätha came down to protect him. He spread in a thorny bush, while wandering as a monk, not his seven hoods over Pārsvanatha to protect him from caring for his body. Mahavira faced adversities caused torrential rain caused by Meghamālin (Pl. 256). by gods, men and beasts but he patiently endured all Ultimately Meghamālin repented of his evil actions and such treatments.
took the right path. In the thirteenth year of his wanderings, Mahavira Pārsvanātha with a modest and self-restrained attained ultimate knowledge while meditating under a character spent thirty years of his life as a householder. śāla tree and became omniscient. The gods prepared On the eleventh day of the dark half of the month of Samavasarana as they did when any Jina obtained Pausa (December-January) he renounced the world and perfect knowlge (see Samavasarana (pp. 414-417, Pls. passed through the town in a procession to the 291-293).
Aśramapada park. In the park under an asoka tree Mahāvīra spent last days of his life in the town Pārsvanātha after sheding all his finery and plucking of Pāvā and died on the fifteenth night of the dark half out his hair (Pl. 257) in five handfuls became a monk of month Karttika (October-November).
and wandered with other mendicants. Life of Pārsvanātha
For eighty-three days Pärśvanātha practised The 23rd Jina Pärsvanatha was the son of queen austerities and on the eighty-fourth day, the fourth day Vāmă and king Aśvasena who ruled in Banaras. At the of the month of Caitra, he attained omniscience. At the time of his conception his mother Vāmā saw the fourteen age of hundred years, on Mt. Sammeta on the eighth auspicious dreams like the mothers of other Jinas. She day of the bright fortnight of the month of Srāvana gave birth to Parsvanätha at mid-night on the tenth day (July-August) Pārsvanātha attained moksa. of the dark half of the month Pausa (December-January). Life of Ariştanemi At the time of his conception his mother saw a snake Aristanemi (22 Jina), also known as Neminätha, crawling by her side, because of which the child received descended to earth after spending thirty-three the name Pārsvanātha.
sägaropamasa in a celestial abode called Aparajita. His The Jaina mythology states that in one of his parents were queen Sivā, and king Samudravijaya, the previous births, Parsvanātha had a brother who was chieftain of the city of Sauripur in Gujarat. His mother wicked and resentful while Pärśvanātha was virtuous. saw the same fourteen dreams that came to all the
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