Jain Legend Vol 3

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

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hand his brother monk Var ha Mihira got attracted toward miracles and their super natural powers. Therefore he left his elder brother Bhadra B hu and the c rya and started studying astrology and astronomy and considered his life fulfilled. Var ha Mihira therefore studied diligently Candrapraj apti and S ryapraj apti and other similar astrological and astronomical literature. In this process he acquired deep knowledge of these texts and the subjects described therein. He thus became a scholar of occult science. He started considering himself as fit to become c rya. Towards his last period of life, the c rya decided to nominate the ablest disciple to the post of c rya. While undergoing through this process, he remembered a saying in scriptures which goes like this “the auspicious post of a ga adhara had always been decorated by a strong and serious scholar like Gautama. If a person intentionally appoints an incapable person to this position, then that person earns the highest demerit in his life'.
Keeping these in his mind, the c rya considered Var ha Mihira as unfit for the post and Bhadra B hu as the most suitable person. Accordingly he appointed Bhadra B hu as c rya and his successor. This decision of his teacher greatly irked Var ha Mihira. With deep hurt, he started feeling jealous and envious of his elder brother Bhadra B hu. He therefore decided to leave Bhadra B hu and the c rya and go elsewhere. Further due to strong envy and jealousy with his brother, he
en decided to leave 12 years of monkhood and become an ordinary householder again.
He started deep study of mantras and tantras in ancient religious texts and created strong following amongst royal advisers and commoners alike thereby accumulating vast financial wealth also. His desires to earn more wealth kept on increasing as his popularity and wealth continued their upward trend. Further to enhance his prestige, he started proclaiming through his followers that he had lived for twelve years in the solar constellation and Lord Sun himself had imparted all knowledge to him and sent him to earth.
Based on the essence of S ryapraj apti, Candrapraj apti and other similar texts, he wrote a unique text on astrology. In this way his writings and miracle generating acts resulted in his all round popularity.
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