________________
Munisuvrata Nātha's period also saw Rāma Balabhadra, Laxmaņa Nārāyana, and Rāvana Pratinārāyaṇa.
RĀJAGRHA - The city of Rājagļha occupies a place of great importance in Jain tradition. It is the city of beatitude and nirvana. Besides being the place where Bhagavāna Mahāvīra established his religious order, it has been the center of political activities for ages. It has also ruled over a larger part of India for a long period. That is the reason this place has played an effective role in the history of this region.
It was here that four out of the five auspicious events in the life Bhagavāna Munisuvrata Nātha occurred (descent, birth, initiation, and omniscience). Of the five hills around Rājagļha four, namely Vaibhāragiri, Rșigiri, Vipulagiri, and Balāhakagiri have been Siddha Kșetra from where numerous ascetics attained nirvana. (Nirvana Bhakti by Ācārya Pujyapāda)
King Jīvandhara of Rajapura got initiated by Bhagavāna Mahāvīra. Accompanying Bhagavāna, he came to Vipula hill. A little after Bhagavāna Mahāvīra's nirvana at Pāvā, he also attained nirvana at Vipula hill.
All the Gañadharas of Bhagavāna Mahāvīra got liberated from Vipula hill only. This hill is also believed to be the place of nirvana of Jambūswāmī, the last omniscient. King Dhịtișeņa of Ujjainī (ascetic Sandīva), King Vaiśākha of Pāțalīputra, Vidhuccara Gandhamādana,, and many other ascetics also attained liberation from this hill.
Bhagavāna Mahāvīra became an omniscient on the bank of river Rjukūlā on Vaišākha sukla tenth. Gods at once created the Samavasaraņa (the divine pavilion for the religious assembly of a Tīrthankara). But in absence of a Gañadhara his divine utterance was also missing. At this Indra, disguised as a Brahmin, came to Indrabhūti Gautama and somehow managed to bring him to Bhagavāna's Samavasaraņa. When there, Gautama was freed of his conceit and got initiated as an ascetic. Immediately followed the first divine utterance of Bhagavāna and establishing of the religious order. The date was Śrāvaņa Kļşņa first and the place was Vipulācala. We are at present living in the period of influence of Bhagavāna Mahāvīra. That is the
210
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
