Jain Journal 1986 10

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

Page 32

JAIN JOURNAL
deep meditation. It was about sunset. A few hillmen saw her sitting with closed eyes underneath the tree and thought that she was the goddess of the forest about whom they have heard many legends from their people and hid themselves behind the high bushes and watched her movements. The entire area was illuminated with moon light after sunset as it was full-moon night and they could see the apparition sitting cross legged and erect with closed eyes. It was the fourteenth day of her arrival in the suburbs of Kodungallur. About midnight the hill men saw to their astonishment and terror a chariot hovering over the hill and a young man bedecked in jewellery and a glittering crown on his head getting down from the chariot approaching the woman and carrying her up in close embrace to the chariot. The frail woman whom they saw underneath the tree was not the same woman sitting in the chariot with the young man. Kannaki burnt her worldly physical body in yogic fire and transformed as a most charming damsel, a celestial of heaven. The hillmen understood that they were Devas of the unknown world. The chariot carrying them disappeared in the high skies. It was a divine phenomenon which could not have been seen by ordinary mortals of the world. The hillmen saw them with their mortal eyes because of the divine power of Kannaki, so that they may inform the king and the hermit Ilamko Adikal what they had seen in the jungle near the hillock. The divine phenomenon of the two celestials appearing in the suburbs of Kodungallur was a memorable event in the annals of Jainism in Kerala. It heralded a new era of peace and prosperity to the people. The hillmen went to Kodungallur and informed the king what they saw underneath the tree near the hillock. Senkuttuvan told Ilamko Adikal what he heard from the hillmen. At that time, Chathanar was also present in the monastery. He told the king and his hermit friend that he was an eye witness to the burning of Madhurai and also heard the divine voice. He was certain that the woman underneath the tree was Kannaki, wife of the beheaded Kovalan. The poet gave a full report of the tragic happenings at Madhurai. The king decided to raise a shrine at Kodungallur for the worship of the people. Kannaki is a goddess worthy of our worship and adorations declared Senkuttuvan and Ilamko Adikal. The king proceeded to the Himalayas and brought the sacred stone for making the image of Kannaki. He built a temple and installed the image in the shrine. The consecration ceremony was performed by Ilamko Adikal in the presence of a large gathering of people King Gajabahu of Srilanka was one of the distinguished persons present at the ceremony. A large number of people from Poompukar had arrived at Kodungallur before the conclusion of the consecration of the image in the temple. One among them was Mathari, a Brahmin lady, who was a companion of Kannaki for many years. The group of people also included Madhavi and her teenaged daughter Manimekhalai. Mathari