Jain Journal 1973 04

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

Page 34

APRIL, 1973
thousand men and women, moving on and on by leaving behind rows of thousands of dwellings; greeted by sweet and delightful music of Vina, cymbal, Turya, and great drum, with which were mixed sweet and bracing shouts of victory, and gentle and pleasant murmur of the people, accompanied by all his pomp, all his splendour, all his army, all his train, all his retinue, all his munificence, all his grandeur, all his ornaments, all his majesty, all his men, all his subjects, all his actors, all his attendants, the entire seraglio, with all his flowers, wreaths, ornaments and robes on; with the sound of all Turyas with great pomp and great splendour, great army, great train, and the best of instruments, such as Turya, Yamaka, Samaka, Conch, Panava, Pataha, Bheri, Jhallari, Kharamukhi, Dundubhi and many others, (he) having passed through the city of Kundapura, reached the Jnatasanda park, and arrived at the spot where stood the most excellent Asoka tree. 115
191
On reaching the most excellent Asoka tree, he ordered his palanquin to be placed beneath it. Then he came out of the palanquin. Thereafter, with his own hand, he took off his wreaths, fineries and ornaments. Having taken them off, he himself tonsured his head in five handfuls. Having done so, he, who was fasting for two and a half days without drinking water, at a time when the moon was in conjunction with the asterism Uttaraphalguni, put on a divine robe, and leaving the house-hold order quite alone, none else accompanying him, entered the state of homelessness. 116
Sramana Bhagavan Mahavira was with robes on for one full year and a month. Then he was devoid of cloth, and used the hollow of his palm as his begging bowl. For slightly more than twelve years, Sramana Bhagavan Mahavira desisted from care of the body, and for times exposed it (to hardships). During this period, when any hardship came, he bore it in all respects, forgave it, overlooked it, believed it to be no hardship, howsoever severe, maybe due to divine wrath, or caused by men, animals or forces of nature, or by other adverse forces. 117
Then Sramana Bhagavan Mahavira became homeless; circumspect in movement, circumspect in words, circumspect in desires, circumspect in acceptance-accumulation-renunciation, circumspect in throwing out stool, urine, saliva and body dirt; restrained in mind, restrained in words; restrained in physical activities; guarding his thoughts, guarding his words, guarding his physical activities, guarding his organs of senses, guarding his chastity; without anger, without pride, without attachment, desisted from everything, freed from compulsion; without ego, without possession, with the tie (of worldly bondage cut, free from