Jaina Gazette 1928

Author(s): Ajitprasad, C S Mallinath
Publisher: Jaina Gazettee Office

Page 28

VARDHAMANA PURANA
15 Visvabhuti ruied the country, Jaini was his queen. He had a brother Visakhabhuti who was the Yuvaraja. Visvabhutis son was Visvanandi, and Visakhabhuti's son was Visakhanandi by his wife Sundari. Disgusted with the world, Visvabhuti crowned his brother Visak babhuti.as Adhi-raja, his own son Visvanandi as Yuva-raja, renounced the world, took diskha under Sridharacharya, and became a tapasvi.
Now Visakhabhuti was ruling the kingdom peacefully, and Visvanandi the Yuva-raja made for himself a splendid pleasure garden. One day the king having heard of a revolt of the chief of Kamarupa. Visvanandi was permitted to march against him with a large army and put down the revolt. Visvanandi was triumphant, but he was also merciful to the vanquished. The rebellion was quelled ar.d Visvanandi returned to the capital in all pomp and glory.
His cousin Visakhanandi took advantage of his absence and made his pleasure garden his own. Visvanandi's first thought on return home was his garden. Finding Visakhanandi there, the two. fought a deadly fight, and Visvanandi struck his rival with a stone pillar. Visakhabuti fled to a Kapitha tree, Visvanandi uprooted it, and was about to strike him dead on the spot, when the offender fell at his feet and implored for mercy. Moved by the piteous cry and the shouts of the mob that had gathered there, Visvanandi resigned the park in favour of his cousin, and went out to tapas. Visakhabhuti failing to pursuade him to stay followed him with a thousand princes, took the diksha under Sambhuta-muni, and went to tapas.
Visakhabhuti in due course went to Satara Kalpa.
Visvanandi observed all the rules of an ascetic and travelled over several places. Once he came to North Madhura and was in his midday walk for parana (meal following fasting). Just then there came a fierce bull, trampling and destroying everything that came in its way and scaring away men, women and children who ran away in fright. The Muni Visvanandi was pierced through by the bull and left on the ground staggering, bleeding and dying.
Under Visakhanandi the kingdom of Magadha fell an easy Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat