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WORSHIP
(opposite) Fig. 1 - On realising Mahavir had been conceived, Sakendra the celestial king offers worship to the unborn child
Fig. 4 - The birth of Mahavir
Fig. 3 - The fourteen dreams of Queen Trisala
Fig. 2 - Harinegamesi replaces the fetus conceived by Queen Trisala with the fetus of Mahavir removed from the Brahmin woman
However, Sakendra did not regard the Brahmin woman as having sufficient status to carry Mahavir, the last of the Tirthankaras. He sent Harinegamesi, a deva and commander of the divine infantry, to exchange Mahavir with a fetus carried by Trisala, wife of King Siddhartha (Fig.2). Trisala received Mahavir while she was in a deep sleep and had the same fourteen dreams as Devananda. In them she saw an elephant, a bull, a lion, the anointing of the goddess Shri, a garland, the moon, the sun, a flag, an urn, a lotus pond, the
sea, a vimana, a heap of jewels and fire. The elephant is the embodiment of the marks of excellence. The bull, which like the elephant is white, has a stamp of benediction on its countenance and the most desirable qualities in large measures. The lion is a magnificent and striking beast that moves with noble grace. Shri sits on a lotus in the middle of a lotus lake on the highest reaches of the Himalayas. The garland descends from the skies and its blossoms are mainly white with bees circling it. The moon shines like white water droplets
dispersing the darkness of the night. The sun shines from a golden disc eliminating the darkness and putting an end to evil activities. The flag flies on a staff of gold and is emblazoned with a shining white lion. The silver urn is filled with crystal water and shines like the purest gold and it is lustrous and holy, untouched by anything sinful. Thousand-petalled roses which open at a touch of the sun's rays float on the lake. The sea glows like a cluster of moonbeams, with its waters swelling in all directions. In the twelfth dream,
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