Jain Journal 1973 04

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

Page 36

APRIL, 1973
and pain, free from limitation in this world as well as in the next, without a hankering for life and death, destined to overcome the mundane life, born to terminate the bondage of karma-thus he spent his time. 119
193
With supreme knowledge, supreme faith, and supreme conduct, in stainless lodgings and blameless wanderings, with unequalled valour, unequalled uprightness, unequalled mildness, unequalled dexterity and unequalled patience, unequalled emancipation unequalled control satisfaction, with the highest intelligence, and highest truth, restraint and penance, Sramana Bhagavan Mahavira passed twelve years in meditation on the self on the road to liberation, which was the duly earned outcome of the right conduct. In the thirteenth year, in the second month of summer, in the fourth fortnight, on the tenth day of the bright half of Vaisakha, when the shadow had turned eastward, on the expiry of the first quarter, on the day called Suvrata, at the hour called Vijaya, outside of the town called Jrimbhikagrama, on the bank of the river Rijupalika, not far from a discarded Yaksa abode, on the farm of a house-holder named Syamaka, beneath a Sala tree, when the moon was in conjunction with the asterism Uttaraphalguni, while, to expose himself to the full blast of the sun, seated was he in a milking posture, with his head erect and at this time he practised the hard vow of taking meal, devoid of water, every third day (missing in all six meals)--still in meditation, attained he the supreme knowledge and faith, kevala by name, unsurpassed, unobstructed, unlimited, complete and full. 120
Then Sramana Bhagavan Mahavira became the Venerable, became the Victor, Omniscient, All-knowing, All-observing; knew he and saw he all categories of gods, men and Asuras in all the worlds; knew he and saw he the conditions of all the living beings in all the worlds-wherefrom they come, whither they go, where do they stay, when do they slip, where are they born; knew he and saw he the ideas, the thoughts in their mind, their intake, their doings, their open deeds as well as their secret deeds; being the most venerable, from whom nothing could be kept a secret, he knew and he saw, in all respects, the state of mind, words and deeds of all the living beings in all the worlds. 121
At that time, in that period, Sramana Bhagavan Mahavira selected Asthikagrama for his sojourn during the first rainy season. Campa and Pristhicampa during three rainy seasons, Vaisali and Vanijyagrama during twelve rainy seasons, Rajagriha and the suburbs of Nalanda during fourteen seasons, Mithilika (Mithila) during two, Bhadrika during two, Alavika during one, Panitabhumi during one, Sravasti during one, and the writers' building of king Hastipala in the very heart of Pava one, this being his last sojourn during a rainy season. 122