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Jain Society of Greater Detroit
PRATISHTHA MAHOTSAV ASHADH 4-12 V.S. 2054
PETHADSHAH (Vikram Shatak 19)
After his father Dedashah died, Pethadshah was a pauper. He went to Acharya
Dharmaghoshsuriji to take a vow to limit the amount of wealth he could possess. Seeing his extremely bright and successful future, the Guruji gave him a vow for a limit of five hundred thousand gold coins. Later on, doing a business of ghee (clarified butter) he found Chitraveli and became very wealthy. He built 84 temples, dharamshalas, and libraries of scriptures and upashryas. The king appointed him as a minister and showed his gratitude. Bhimji, the head of the Sangh of Khambhatt, donated clothes to those worthy souls who had taken the vow of celibacy. One pair of clothes was sent to Pethadshah, and along with his wife he took the vow of celibacy and worshipped the Tirthankars. It is said that by his vow of celibacy, his inner strength increased manifold. Once the queen fell ill with a deadly fever but with the help of these clothes of Pethadshah, the fever went away. Also when the same
clothes were thrown on the king's mad elephant, the effect was the elephant was calm and pacified. At the minister's behest, the king declared non-violence throughout the state. Pethadshah organized a pilgrimage for several hundred thousand people, for the whole sangh. He got made golden ornamental top for the main temple at Shatrunjay. Later, that same sangh went to Girnar. There, winning one auction of Indramala, he had Girnar declared a Shwetambar Jain tirth.
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