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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Cakravart Sagara
In the present declining happinesscycle in the Bharata region in Jamb dy pa king Sagara was the second cakravart. Some years after Lord Ajitan tha's establishment of the t rthas a heavenly cakra appeared in king Sagara's armoury. On this great occasion king Sagara instructed a festive celebration across his entire kingdom for eight days. This way, including the heavenly cakra jewel, a total of fourteen jewels appeared at the king's place.
Sagara gained victory over six divisions of Bharata and established his sovereign rule over the entire Bharata for 32,000 years. He had nine treasures. 32,000 crown kings were always ready to serve him. King Sagara's palace had 64,000 queens and 60,000 sons, including Sahasr m u, Sahasr k a, Jahnu, Sahasrab hu, etc. According to crya S1 mka's 54 Mah purisacariyam and c rya Hemacandra's Tri a i
al k puru a caritra, 60,000 sons including Sahasr mu started a campaign for Bharata with the jewels such as Army General Jewel, Staff jewel, etc with a huge army. After traveling across many places they reached the mountain A t pada. There they saw Jina temples and in order to preserve those temples they thought of digging a pit all around the mountain and dug up pits as low as the palaces of the Bhavanapatis. With the help of the staff-jewel, Jahnu dug up the banks of river Gamg and filled the pits with water from there. The water reached the homes of the Bhavanapatis, which aroused the wrath of N gakum ras who through the poison in their eyes burnt the 60,000 sons into ashes.
Jain stras do not mention the events related to this story or the Jina temples constructed by Bharata. It is possible that the Jain c ryas presented such a tale inspired by one narrated in the Pur as about Indra tying up the sacrificial horse of the king Sagara - desirous of conducting hundred a vamegha sacrifices - in the netherworld near sage Kapila, and Sagara's sons reaching there and creating a ruckus. Whatever it may be, but king Sagara's narrative / story is one of disenchantment and gives a lesson. The story goes on as follows:
Hearing of the death of all his sons at the same time produced a heartrending pain in Sagara. He could not imagine that his state could be so pathetic, helpless and hopeless in spite of being the suzerain Lord of the
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