Jain Legend Vol 2

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

Page 338

After listening to Rak ita's request,
rya To aliputra informed him that D iv da could be taught only to a monk who took initiation as a detached rama a.The moment he listened to this, Rak ita without any hesitation, accepted initiation into rama a Dharma.
After learning the eleven Amgas from rya Tosaliputr, Rak ita approached rya Vajra and studied the nine and half P rvas and their meaning. His parents sent their younger son, Phalgu Rak ita to bring Rak ita back home. Rak ita initiated his brother to the rama a Dharma. Acquiring the knowledge of the nine and half P_rvas, Rak ita came back to his Guru c rya To aliputra. As he was the most worthy monk, his Guru conferred him the rank of c rya and later observing Samlekhan, c rya To aliputra attained heavenly abode.
After his Guru attained heaven, rya Rak ita who had by then become an c rya, as per his mother's word, which she sent through her second son Phalgu Rak ita, yielded finally and went to Da apura, for the benefit of the devotees and would be ascetics.
Rudrasom herself & inspired by Rudrasom the royal priest Somadeva, and many members of their family who were desirous of salvation, took initiation as monk from rya Rak ita.
ry
Rudrasom carrying out severe penance, practised pure selfrestraint. The two sides of ry Rudrasom, one as a householder and the other as a nun, are a great source of inspiration to mankind. Except for the elevation of one's own self and that of others, ry Rudrasom did not give any importance to the typical beliefs, like the family progeny should prosper and that the family lineage and its name should continue forever. She thought that continuation of one's own lineage is not a criterion to assess the success of a person. To her, self-realisation and helping others to realise their own self in the spiritual path were the requisites to evaluate the success of a person. She never bothered or worried if her lineage would continue or not; instead she imparted her sons with righteous traits and habits and encouraged them to tread on the path of spiritual practice and also to lead others. But for the encouragement of Rudrasom rya Rak ita would not have become epochal- c rya. The credit for the spiritual success of rya Rak ita goes
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