Jinamanjari 1998 09 No 18

Author(s): Jinamanjari
Publisher: Canada Bramhi Jain Society Publication

Page 61

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A. It can not be considered scripture for the fact that those words would lack truth without the foundation of ratnatrava or triratna (samyagjñāna, s- darśana, s -caritra). It will knowingly lead to the loss of religious order. Hence, it is only that scripture is valid which has been sermonised by the Enlightened who has attributes of infinite potency, righteousness, omniscience, etc. Q. Where did Lord Mahavira sermonise the Religious Order ? A. Lord Mahavira delivered his sermon on Mt. Vipulacala situated southwest of the town of Rajagpha in Magadha kingdom and it was attended by king Srenika along with his queen Celanā. Q. When was this Religious Order sermonised? A. In the fourth period of the Jaina time cycle Lord Mahavira was born and in the life span of seventy-two years, he spent the first thirty years as a prince and twelve years as an ascetic during which time omniscience was achieved. Sixty-six days after the attainment of omniscience, the Lord sermonised his order. From the day of the sermon to the completion of the fourth period of the Jain time cycle, there remained nine days, six months and thirty-three years. Q. Why sixty-six days have been deducted for Lord's first sermon after acquing omniscience ? A. The rule is that Lord's divyadvani (divine sermon) must be received by the chief disciple who could not only understand but also must elaborate and expound the essence and the spirit of the sermon. Q. How could he get the chief disciple, then? A. There was a Brahmin named Indrabhūti Gautama who was wellversed in Vedic studies. Gautama, coming in contact with Lord Mahavira and getting his inner volitions purified, along with his two brothers - Agnibhūti and Vāyubhūti joined the order of Mahavira. Within a time of one muhurta (48 minutes) after getting initiated, Indrabhūti acquired all the qualities required for being a chief disciple of the Lord and the capacity to understand the seed letters spoken by the Lord during the samosarana. Then there was the first sermon of the Lord in the forenoon of the first dark day of the month of Śravaņa (July - August). Indrabhūti Gautama collected the sermons in twelve Angās. Accordingly, Lord Mahavira is the author of psychical scriptures and meaningful syllables and his chief disciple, Gautama is the author of the physical scriptures. Q. How have the sermonised scriptures come down to us? A. Indrabhuti Guatama transmitted orally the knowledge contained in the twelve Angās and fourteen Upānga texts to Lohārya, also known as Sudharma, who in turn, transmitted it to Jambu. Thus, these three -
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