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Shravak Inspirations
Jain Education International
Jain Society of Greater Detroit
PRATISHTHA MAHOTSAV JUNE 27-JULY 6 1998 THEITARS
SAMPRATI MAHARAJA (vir nirvan shatak 2)
When Samprati Maharaja returned to Avanti after a victory he did not see en
thusiasm on his mother's face. When he asked what is the reason she replied, "Being greedy for the sake of the kingdom you have committed only sins. I would be more proud of you if you would build Jain temples or help in renovating them," Hearing
this king built 125,000 new Jain temples in marble, renovated innumerbable Jain temples and had about 12,500,000 Jain idols made. Once in a procession when he saw Acharya Suhastisuri, Samprati felt that he had seen him somewhere before wherein the acharya told him about his previous life. "Once in Kaushambi there was a terrible famine but even then the shravak continued to take care of sadhus. You were a beggar and were not getting enough food, so you went and begged
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from some Jain sadhus. Those sadhus who were my disciples, brought you to me, where I told that if you accept diksha then we can give you food. In anticipation of food you accepted diksha. Being hungry from so many days you ate more food than was in your capacity resulting in a severe stomachache. Praising the religion and the life of sadhus, that night you died and were reborn as King Kunal's son and Emperor Ashok's grandson." King Samprati did a lot to spread Jainism. Amongst kings, he is considered to be the foremost in terms of contribution to Jainism.
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