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middle of the night at approximate disposition of the stars took the form of an embryo and entered the womb of their respective mothers. They are further described as very higly spiritually evolved souls with finest of feelings of love, non-violence, compassion etc.. and hence as leaders even in heaven having attained three out of the total five types of knowledge: knowledge obtainable by sense experiences. knowledge obtainable from books, associations, contacts. discourses etc.. and knowledge obtainable by a development of intuitional faculties which enable perception of objects. tendencies. vibrations etc.. at immeasurable distances called respectively in Jaina parlance 'Mati. Shruti and Avadhi Gnana'. The remaining two viz know. ledge to read minds of other beings i.e. Manah Paryaya Gnana and finally the total knowledge of every thing every whera for all time i.e.. Kevala Gnana they developed after their sojourns on earth where they underwent intense austerities to fully purify themselves of all karmic pudgala, attached to their souls.
(2) In Jaina canonical literature, the birth of a Tirthenkara is always preceded by dreams of some standard objects which Tirthankaras' mothers had and some of the objects are never heard of as ever existing on the face of this earth. These objects inter alia are an 'airavata' elpephant. elephant of an unusual size with seven trunks and four mighty tusks - a space ship 'vimana' a celestial abode of god shining like the disc of a sun, the palace of the serpent god, a handsome playful lion with saffron manes jumping from the sky and a goddess of wealth with the face of a full moon reposing on a lotus in a lotus lake on the top of the tallest Mount known as Himvat (perrenial snow).
(3) In Jaina texts. there are descriptions of the festivals and ceremonies which take place in which beings other than humans, heavenly beings both different and superior to human living on planets other than earth participate at the time of the conception as well as the birth of each Tirthankara which suggest uncommon aud unusual objects in relation to lakes,
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