Jain Journal 1973 10

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

Page 11

JAIN JOURNAL
of their life (pañca kalyānakas) and in their holy traits both physical and environmental (atiśayas). The Tirthankaras have physical traits not shared by other beings-graceful physique and stature, voice, demeanour, etc.—and their presence on earth is accompanied by soothing environmental conditions. The Tirthankaras have fullness of knowledge and are revered everywhere and by all and they are in effective communication with all categories of beings-human, non-human and divine. Devas and men surround the Tirthankaras with such pomp as is not known to other Arhats and Siddhas. The number of Arhats and Siddhas is very great, but the Tirthankaras are only four and twenty in each half-cycle of time.
Of the twenty-four Tirthankaras in this cycle of time, the first is Rsabhadeva and the last three are Neminatha, Parsvanatha and Mahavira. The last three are historical figures while the antecedents of Rsabhadeva are burried in antiquity. The Jaina tradition puts Rsabhadeva aeons of years before the last Tirthankara. One fact is certain that Rsabhadeva lived much before the Vedas and Purānas were written. The Purānas mention Rsabhadeva as one of the twenty-four incarnations. The Rgveda contains the following high-praise for Rsabha:
"Rsabham ma samananam saptananam bisasahim Hantaram strunam kridhi virajam gopatam gavam"
"Oh Divinity! Do thou produce amongst us, of high descent, a great god, like Rsabha, who may overcome all obstacles put by adversaries, and who may ultimately become the destroyer of enemies."
Rsabha's parents were partriarchs (kulakara)-Nabhideva and his consort Marudevi. His conception and birth were duly celebrated by the celestial beings. He was born on the eighth day of the dark half of Caitra. The boy was named Rsabha because he bore the mark of a bull on his thigh and his mother too saw a bull in her first dream. When he was one year old, seated in the lap of his father, he received a piece of sugar cane (ikṣu) as a homage from Indra, the leader of gods, by virtue of which the line took the name of Iksvaku.
At ripe age, Rsabha was married to his partner-at-birth Sumangala. Most illustrious was the reign of the first monarch, who looked on his people as his children. He taught men to cultivate food, to make fire and use it in cooking. He established seventy-two arts and crafts
olved a script named after his own daughter, Brahmi. He organised the society into a fourfold order--viz., ugra, who were the city