Jain Journal 1968 07

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

Page 32

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As a Tirthankara he organised the tirtha or the holy order and this also contained innumerable holy men at different levels of spiritual growth. The final liberation took place on the eighth day of the bright half of the month of Asadha during the monsoon on the top of the hill Ujjhita.
A few important events of his life are noted below :
JAIN JOURNAL
1. Reconciliation of Devaki's doubt
Devaki was Krsna's mother. At that time Aristanemi was stationed in the Sahasramra-vana. One day three pairs of Jaina monks, all looking identical, came to Devaki's palace to beg subsistence. This confused Devaki as Jaina monks are supposed not to approach the same household for subsistence on the same day. On being asked, one in the last pair informed her that though they resembled the first and the second pair, they were not the same persons. In fact they were six brothers, born of mother Sulasa and now all initiated. This further added to Devaki's confusion. For once she had been told in her youth by a sage that she would give birth to eight outstanding sons all alike in the land of Bharata and none else but now she found that there was another no less fortunate than herself. "How can the words of the sage be reversed?", she felt and to be enlightened about the reality she approached Aristanemi. Aristanemi readily knew what she had in mind and explained. He said that both Devaki and Sulasa used to become pregnant at the same time and simultaneously gave birth to a child. But unfortunately Sulasa gave birth to a dead child on each occasion and since Devaki's sons were likely to be killed by her own brother Kamsa, the King of Mathura, who was apprehensive of his own death, as per oracle, by one of Devaki's sons, all the sons of Devaki were replaced by the dead sons of Sulasa on each occasion by the god Harinegamesi, in consequence of which the six monks Devaki had seen were really her own sons, brought up by Sulasa, and hence the forecast did not come untrue. This revelation very much pleased Devaki. She again visited the six monks when at their sight there appeared visible expressions of motherly affection on her body. Milk poured out from her breasts and tears rolled down her cheeks drenching the breast cover. She gazed at them incessantly, paid respect to them, came back to Aristanemi to bow before him and then returned home.
2. Gajasukumala episode
Gajasukumala was the younger brother of Krsna. One day when Aristanemi was in Dvaraka, Krsna accompanied by his brother was