Jain Legend Vol 1

Author(s): Hastimal Maharaj, Shuganchand Jain, P S Surana
Publisher: Hastimal Maharaj Shugan C Jain P S Surana

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monks and 500 women including Br hm in the order of female-monks. King Bharata became a samyakdar r vaka (lay follower of the right faith). Thousands of outstanding men such as rey msa kum ra and women such as Subhadr entered into the fold of the laity, accepting the right faith. This way, a four-fold congregation was established consisting of monks, female monks, votaries (r vakas) and female-votaries (r vik s). Because of the establishment of the religious order Lord V abhan tha came to be considered the 1°T rthamkara.
Vabhasena became an ascetic and through three question (p cch s) and gained knowledge of the 14 p rvas. V abhasena became the first Ga adhara among the 84 ga adharas of the Lord.
When the 4000 men, who had become mendicants out of fear of hardships, listened to the Lord speak on the dharma-t rtha after attaining pure knowledge came into the Lord's service and mingled with the monk's congregation, becoming ascetics, barring Kaccha and Mah kaccha.
Mother Marudev 's Liberation / Mok a, Seeing the Lord
Mother Marudev was pining to see her son V abhan tha since ages. Even after 1000 years following his renunciation she did not see her dear
n once. Her eyes were brimming with tears every moment in his memory. Looking at the expansion of Bharata's kingdom she would always tell him tauntingly that you are enjoying endless wealth but I do not know where my darling V abhan tha is wandering around. Hence when Bharata got news of Lord V abhan tha's omniscience he immediately entered in the presence of his mother Marudev and gave her the good news of his entry into the Purimat la city and his attainment of pure knowledge. Hearing this mother Marudev was filled with excessive joy and went along with Bharata to see the Lord.
When mother Marudev approached the samava ara a and saw the worship of Vabhan tha she started thinking that I used to assume my son would be in hardships, but here I see him submerged in an ocean of bliss. In the course of these thoughts, there was a transformation in the direction of her thinking. She went into deep meditation and absorption and within moments she moved beyond the sheath of karmas i.e. obscuring knowledge - (jn vara ya), perception (dar an vara ya),
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