Jain Journal 1967 04

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 74

APRIL, 1967
201
19th year, pre-Vikrama 494-93
The monsoon retreat being over, Mahavira did not depart from Rajagrha. He continued his stay there for the propagation of religion. King Srenika was so much devoted to him that he made the following proclamation : "If anyone is keen for initiation from the Lord, he should go ahead with it. If he has some dependents behind, the king himself will take care of them.” The lay people apart, king's proclamation was followed by a tremendous response in the royal household itself from where twenty-three of Srenika's own sons and thirteen of his queens entered the śramana order under Mahavira.
At this time śramana Ardraka was going to Mahavira to pay obeisance when on the way he came across Gosalaka. Gosalaka said to him, “Formerly your master lived in isolation but these days he has collected a number of monks round him and offers stormy discourses. He is a man of unsettled mind.” The dialogue continued Ardraka offering strong defence of the master and silencing the adversary. Proceeding further he encountered the Sāk ya-putriya monks, and he won over them by arguments. The third to meet him was Hastitāpasa who claimed to be killing only one elephant during a year and subsisting on its flesh thereby saving many other living beings. Ardraka told him that in killing even one animal during a year he could not claim to be a perfect devotee of the ahimsā path. Then he met the Lord and worshipped him. The princes and monks who were already initiated by Ardraka were now sanctified by Mahavira and handed back to him. The monsoon retreat continued at Rajagrha for the second consecutive year. Then he repaired towards Kausambi.
1.
20th year, pre-Vikrama 493-92
On the way he spent some time at Alavia and expressed his views on the life-span of the denizens of Devaloka, supporting Risibhadra in this matter. At Kausambi, he initiated into the religious order Mrigavati, the queen-mother of the minor prince Udayana and eight queens of King Canda Pradyota of Ujjaini who were at that time present there. This was the outcome of a very effective sermon that he delivered on vairāgya (loss of worldly attachment). Then he returned to Videha, spending the monsoons at Vaisali.
21st year, pre-Vikrama 492-91
Then, after the monsoons, he reached Kakandivia in north Videha via Mithila, where he initiated into monkhood Dhannya, Sunakshatra