Jain Journal 1969 07

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

Page 34

JULY, 1969
25
rakşasī-vidyā (Demonaic charm), a necklace and the impregnable and sea-girded city of Lanka together with Patala Lanka. Toyadavahana accepted the gifts and in Lanka, he founded a new line of Demons. Long after this, Toyadavahana renounced the world and was succeeded by his son Maharaksasa. At this juncture Ajita Jina entered into nirvāņa.
Once sixty thousand sons of Sagara went to the Kailasa mountain to pay their respect to the twentyfour Jaina shrines erected there by their illustrious ancestor, Bharata. At the suggestion of Bhagiratha (Bhairahi), they sought to dig out the Ganga and encircle the shrines with its flowing water. For this they employed danda-ratna to excavate the earth which produced such an upheaval in the region of the serpents that their lord Dharanendra became angry and destroyed them on the spot by his venomous look. Only two, Bhima and Bhagiratha, escaped to bring the message of this tragedy to their parent at Ayodhya. Sagara was so overwhelmed with grief that he immediately renounced the world. As Bhima refused to occupy the throne, Bhagiratha was crowned king.
Here Maharaksasa who went out after some time for water-sports with his queens chanced to see a dead-bee in the interior of a lotus. At this he reflected : “All who are given to passion meet a similar fate.' While he was in such a dejected mood, there arrived a company of monks. Delighted at this the king requested them to introduce him to the holy order. They said :
sāhu lankesara pain jivevau attha je vāsara
jam jāņahi tam karahi turantau.
“There remain only eight days for you to live, so do what you like.” So Maharaksasa renounced the world and his son Devaraksasa ruled over Lanka.
On the Line of the Monkeys
In Lanka, after Devaraksasa, there were sixtyfour kings in succession. After them, Kirtidhavala sat on the throne. Once Kirtidhavala's brother-in-law Srikantha came to Lanka with his wife Kamala, and lived with him for some time. When Srikantha was eager to leave the island, Kirtidhavala, to avert separation from him, asked him to choose any one of his numerous islands and live near him This Srikantha did by selecting Vanara-dvipa (Monkey-island) and founding the city of Kiskupura on the mountain Kisku as his capital.