Jain Journal 1970 10

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

Page 19

JAIN JOURNAL
dikşā to Drdhavarmana, and consequently both of them became antakst kevalins. Inspired by this, Kuvalayacandra, Kuvalayamala and Mahendrakumar accepted renunciation and practised severe penances. Kuvalayamala was born in Saudharma kalpa. Kuvalayacandra was born as a god in the Vaidurya vimāna where the lion was bor as a god after his death. Monk Sagaradatta too reached the same vimāna after his death as a god. After enjoying royal pleasures for a while and putting his son Manorathaditya on the throne, king Prthvisara also took to asceticism and joined them in the same heaven after his demise. They recognised each other, reflected together on the importance of samyaktva and agreed that in the subsequent births whereever they were, any one of them having omniscience should enlighten the rest.
Then, during the age of Mahavira, the soul of Kuvalayacandra came down from heaven and was born in the town of Kakandi as prince Maniratha, the son of king Kancanaratha and his queen Indivara. Much against the wish of all, the prince Maniratha became addicted to hunting. While he was out in the forest, there arrived Lord Mahavira who preached to the audience, including Kancanaratha twofold dharma based on samyaktva. Further, Mahavira explained to Kancanaratha that the prince Maniratha, though addicted to hunting, was not only a bhavya but would reach liberation also in this very birth, in fact, he was enlightened and with a view to adopting religious life, he was coming here. A deer, once the husband when he (Maniratha) was his wife Sundari in an earlier life, had made him religious-minded. He came by this time to the audience hall and hearing his earlier life accepted renunciation.
Once Lord Mahavira reached Sravasti and in the samavasarana expounded how different kinds of karmas take a soul through different gatis. At the conclusion of the discourse a man of striking personality came there and inquired whether all that he saw in a dream was true. Mahavira told him that it was true. Then he went away. The Lord gave his anecdote and said that he was Mohadatta amongst the five souls who agreed to enlighten each other now born as Kamagajendra. He will be enlightened here to attain final liberation. Kamagajendra came next day and accepted renunciation from him. The Lord told him the whereabouts of the five colleagues, one in heaven with a short life now and the rest on the earth.
From Vaidurya vimāna Sagaradatta (Lobhadeva) took birth as Vajragupta at Rsabhapura. When the town was being regularly robbed by a mysterious robber Vajragupta openly resolved to burn himself