Jain Journal 1968 10

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

Page 28

OCTOBER, 1968
Years passed and Rsabha grew up. And in course of time when the third portion of time-cycle of Sușama-Duşama came to an end the kalpavṛksas (subsistence-trees) began to disappear. And people afflicted by hunger came to Rsabha for subsistence. Rsabha knowing the end of Susama-Duşama, taught them four arts of asi (sword), masi (pen), kṛşi (agriculture) and vanijya (commerce) and they learnt how to grow their own food for subsistence and how to protect themselves. He then got married to Nanda and Sunanda and was coronated a king. Before this, marriage ceremony was not known though twin-borns used to live like man and wife and kingship was also unknown.1 From these marriages Rsabha begot hundred sons and two daughters. Of these most noted was Bharata, his eldest son who became the first cakravarti, the overlord of six regions of Bharatavarsa and from whom this country takes its name.
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Rsabha thus became immersed in the affairs of the state and worldly pleasures. Seeing this Indra with a view to awaken love of renunciation in Rsabha sent a beautiful damsel Nilanjana whose life-span was nearing its end to dance before Rsabha. She danced before Rsabha as desired but while dancing she fell dead. Seeing the girl suddenly die, Rsabha was struck with the ephemeral nature of worldly glory and resolved to renounce the world. Bharata was installed on the throne at Ayodhya and his territory was distributed amongst his sons. Rsabha then went to Purimatala (Prayaga, modern Allahabad) where with four thousand kings he renounced the world.
Hencefourth Rsabha led an austere life. At that time he had to fast for a whole year. As he moved from place to place everybody brought him rich presents but no food for subsistence (begging was not known before it). Unable to bear this hardship his followers left him and took meals and founded new faiths. At that time Nami and Vinami, sons of Kaccha and Mahakaccha, came to him to ask for their share of the kingdom. Asked by Indra they said 'when they were abroad the kingdom was portioned off amongst the sons of Rsabha and they were left out'. Indra then assumed the form of Rsabha and gave them the rulership of the northern and southern slopes of the Mount Vaitadhya
1 In Jaina notion, the initial human creatures were twins, one male and one female. When grown-up they would live like man and wife and give birth to a twin, a boy and a girl who in turn had a similar course. Nanda was natural twin with Rsabha and so per prevailing practice they became man and wife. But, thus goes the story that Sunanda's brother had died by the falling of a palm and so Rsabha married this girl who had lost her would be partner. In this way, he was the first also to introduce marriage in human society, as he was the first also to introduce the institution of kingship in the polity.