Jain Journal 1968 10

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

Page 29

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JAIN JOURNAL
together with some miraculous powers. Rsabha meanwhile reached Hastinapura where the ruling monarch Sreyamsa offered him sugarcanejuice. Rsabha took the juice and broke his one-year-old fast. Gods showered gold and jewels and on account of the non-exhausting gifts received by Sreyamsa the day was known as Akṣaya-tṛtiyā.
Rsabha then returned to Purimatala where in Sakatamukha park he practised further austerities under a "banyan tree. At last he attained the kevala knowledge and became the first Tirthankara of this Avasarpinī.
This was followed by samavasarana.
Gods constructed a golden audience hall where Rsabha preached the tenets of Jainism to all assembled gods, men, birds and beasts. Many took to renunciation and many followed the house-holders' vows. Then Rsabha proceeded to Gangasagara. Here his son became the paramount ruler of the whole earth.
jiha bappeņa māhappeṇa laiu ṇāņu tam kevalu tiha putteņa jujjhanteņa sa i bhu yabalena mahiyalu
Just as the father by practising supreme austerities attained supreme knowledge, kevalajñāna, so the son, by the prowess of his own arms, attained the paramountcy of the world.
Bharata came back after the conquest of the world (digvijaya) but the insignia of victory, the Divine Disc (cakraratna), refused to enter the city. It was by following this cakraratna Bharata went out for world conquest. So he asked his ministers, whether any king still remained unconquered. Thereupon they said, "All are conquered except your younger brother Bahuvali, king of Potanapura (Taxila)." Messengers were sent to him so that Bahuvali might accept his sovereignty which the latter refused as he owed nothing to Bharata.
This enraged Bharata who marched against Bahuvali with his whole army. Bahuvali also made preparations for war and the two armies confronted each other outside Potanapura. Apprehending a mass carnage and moved by pity, Bharata and Bahuvali both agreed that they would fight it out amongst themselves in duel instead of destroying the whole army. Accordingly modes of duel-fight were decided upon and Bharata was defeated in the first two rounds. The last one was a physical combat. In this also Bahuvali was about to win a victory as he had lifted Bharata by his two hands. Bharata thus rebuffed released his Divine Disc