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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and internal austerities. One day the Lord was observing fast, deep in meditation in Sahasr mravana. In his meditative state, he completely destroyed the obscuring karmas and attained pure intuition and pure knowledge thereby entering the 13thgu asth na (sayog -keval ) or became omniscient Lord. This way, after 12 years in the state of mendicancy, on the 11" day of the bright fortnight in the Pau a month with Rohi constellation being in conjunction with the moon Lord Ajitan tha became the all-knowing, all-perceiving i.e. an omniscient. The gods showered the five auspicious things and the king of gods created the samava ara a right there. King Sagara got the message of the Lord's being omniscient. Immediately, he along with his ministers, kith and kin, arrived at the garden with royal pomp and majesty. Reaching the samava ara a, king Sagara paid obeisance to the Lord with devotion and joy and sat there. Lord Ajitan tha, seated on a high seat erected by the gods, gave a sermon at the samava ara a like a shower of nectar. Gaining knowledge from the Lord's sermon many people accepted the conduct of monks and female-monks and lay-men and lay-women. Lord Ajitan tha had 95 ga adharas (principal disciples) among whom Simhasena was the first. The Lord's first female disciple was Falgu who started the Lord's female-monk congregation. This way, in his first sermon, Lord Ajitan tha spoke on the scripture and conduct and established the four-fold order.
Deliverance of the people of
ligr ma
Giving a discourse on the immortal truthful tradition, urging people to walk towards mok a, Lord Ajitan tha arrived at a garden located to the north outside Kau mb city. The gods erected the samava ara a. Seated on a huge pedestal under the A oka tree the Lord started his sermon. At that time a Brahmin came with his wife to participate in the samava ara a and after circumambulating the Lord and praying at his feet sat beside him. After the sermon the Brahmin, with folded hands, asked the Lord, "Why is it so?” The Lord answered, “This is the effect of right belief." The Brahmin asked again, "In what way, Lord?” The Lord explained, “The effect of right belief is mighty. Its result is that enmity is silenced, diseases are eliminated, bad karmas die out, the desired gets done, heavenly-destiny karma is bonded, gods and goddesses are ready to help. These are all the ordinary effects of right belief. By the best observance of right belief a person can destroy all the accumulated
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