Book Title: Jain Legend Vol 2
Author(s): Hastimal Maharaj, Shuganchand Jain, P S Surana
Publisher: Hastimal Maharaj Shugan C Jain P S Surana
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All these up sakas described in the scriptures are householders following the twelve vows (Vratas). Except Mah ataka, all others had only one wife each. For 14 years each of them abided the holy vows meant for the householder and during the fifteenth year, with an intention to get closer to asceticism ( rama a dharma), they entrusted the household responsibilities to their eldest sons, while still in the garb of a householder, slowly & steadily relinquished all their previous possessions and finally as a mendicant ( rama abh ta), by thought, word and deed (Trikara a) and controlling all the three types of activities (Triyoga), they practised spiritual-exertion (s dhan ) to renounce their sins.
The practice of nanda went on without any hurdles, but the other up akas - right from K madeva to akad laputra, had impediments (upasarga) by celestial beings while Mah ataka had impediments by a woman. All of them had followed the votary ( r vaka) Dharma up to twenty years and attained good death and good next life (sadgati) and in their very next birth they would be born in Mah videha and attain liberation (Mok a).
This seventh text, which enumerates the household duties of r vakas and r vik s (men & women votaries) expediently, is helpful for every householder. If every householder tries to adhere to the virtuous deeds, illustrated in this text, then it could be a boon for mankind.
8. Amtagadada
The eighth text is Amtagadada or Antak ta da . This consists of one
ruta ska dha, 8 Vargas, 90 chapters, 8 topics and 8 sub topics and limited discourses. There are about thousands of verses. Presently, this Amga stra is of 1900 verses. These are divided into eight sections which have 10, 8, 13, 10, 10, 26, 13 and 10 chapters respectively. As the present S tra describes the state of practice of spiritual purification by practitioners, who ended the cycle of their birth and death, it is named as Antak ta da
In the first two sections of Antak ta da , the practice of spiritual purification of eighteen princes of V i lineage like Gautama, etc. is described. It is stated that the twenty three virtuous people, described in
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