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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the A pada Mountain along with their respective family of gods. At the command of the king of gods, Indra, three funeral pyres and three litters were constructed. Indra himself bathed the Lord's earthly body with water of the ocean of milk and anointed it with go r a sandal paste. Other gods similarly bathed and anointed the bodies of Ga adharas and monks. Those earthly bodies were placed on very beautiful litters / palanquins, Indra brought the Lord's litter and devas the litters of the Ga adharas' and monks' to the funeral pyres to the accompaniment of divine musical instruments and the tumultuous chants of “Jai-ho; Jai-ho or hail! hail!” In that process the bodies were placed on their funeral pyres constructed for the purpose as part of the rites. At akra's command the Agnikum ras called forth the fire elements on to the pyres and V yukum ras lit the pyres with fire. This way completing the cremation ceremonies of Lord V abhan tha and his retinue those pyres were quelled with the water of the milk ocean. Thereafter, at the command of the king of gods, Indra, caitya-st pas were constructed at the place of the funeral pyres. va yaka-niryukti refers to the constructed caitya-st pas.
Vedic literature speaks of the emergence of dideva in the form of
ivalimga (sign) on the fourteenth day of the dark fortnight of the month of M gha. This seems to correspond with the obtaining of the iva- pada (niry a) of Lord din tha. It is possible that the st pa which was constructed on the funeral pyre of Lord V abhan tha became popular later on as ivalimga.
V
abhan tha in non-Jain Literature
Just as in Jain literature, there is extensive reference to V abhan tha in Vedic literature as well. We find references to him in Buddhist literature too.
With reference to V abhan tha the Puras say that Brahm i created the first Sv yambhuva Manu from his own body. Priyavrata from Sv yambhuva, gn ghra from Priyavrata, and thus ten sons were created. N bhicame from gn dhra and Vabhan tha from N bhi.From the womb of N bhi's love Marudev was born an extraordinarily brilliant haloed son who was named V abhan tha. V abhan tha riled the kingdom righteously and performed various sacrifices (yaj as) then, leaving his kingdom to his son, Bharata, went to do penance in
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