Lord Mahavira Vol 01

Author(s): S C Rampuria
Publisher: Jain Vishva Bharati Institute

Page 23

14
Lord Mahavira
existence (among gods). Here, forsooth, in the continent of Gambidvipa, in Bharatavarsha, in the southern part of it, in the southern brahmanical part of the place Kundapura, he took the form of an embryo in the womb of Devânandâ, of the Gâlandharayana gotra, wife of the Brâhmana Rishabhadatta, of the gotra of Kodala, taking the form of a lion4. (2) The knowledge of the Venerable Ascetic Mahavira (with reference to this transaction) was threefold: he knew that he was to descend; he knew that he had descended; he knew not when he was decending. For that time has been declared to be infinitesimally small. (3)
Then in the third month of the rainy season, the fifth fortnight, the dark (fortnight) of Asvina, on its thirteenth day, while the moon was in conjunction with Uttaraphalgunî, after the lapse of eighty-two days, on the eighty-third day current, the compassionate god (Indra), reflecting on what was the established custom (with regard to the birth of Tîrthankaras), removed the embryo from the southern Brahmanical part of the place Kundapura to the northern Kshatriya part of the same place, refecting the unclean matter, and retaining the clean matter, lodged the fetus in the womb of Trisalâ of the Vâsishtha gotra, wife of the Kshatriya Siddhartha, of the Kâsyapa gotra, of the clan of the Gñâtris, and lodged the fetus of the Kshahtriyânî Trisalâ in the womb of Devânandâ of the Galandharayana gotra, wife of the Brâhmana Rishabhadatta, of the gotra of Kodâla, in the southern brahmanical part of the place Kundapurî. (4) The knowledge of the Venerable Ascetic Mahâvira (with regard to this transaction) was threefold: he knew that he was to be removed; he knew that he was removed; he also knew when he was being removed. (5)
In the period, in that age, once upon a time, after the lapse of nine complete months and seven and a half days, in the first month of summer, in the second fortnight, the dark (fortnight) of Kaitra, on its thirteenth day, while the moon was in conjunction with Uttaraphalgunî, the Kshatriyânî Trisalâ, perfectly healthy herself, gave birth to a perfectly healthy (boy), the Venerable Ascetic Mahâvira. (6)
In that night in which the Kshatriyânî Trisalâ, perfectly healthy herself, gave birth to a perfectly healthy (boy), the venerable Ascetic Mahâvira, there was one great divine, godly lustre