Lord Mahavira Vol 01

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

Page 26

Vardhamana Initiated Himself as a Monk
17
on its tenth day, while the moon was in conjunction with Uttaraphalgunî, he made up his mind to retire from the world. (17)
A year before the best of Ginas will retire from the world, they continue to give away their property, from the rising of the sun. i.
One crore and eight lakhs of gold is his gift at the rising of the sun, as if it were his morning meal. ii.
Three hundred and eighty-eight crores and eighty lakhs were given in one year. iii.
The Kundaladharas of Vaisramana, the Laukântika and Maharddhika gods in the fifteen Karmabhûmis15 wake the Tîrthankara. iv.
In Brahma Kalpa and in the line of Krishnas, the Laukântika Vimânas are eightfold and infinite in number. v.
These orders of gods wake the best of Ginas, the Venerable Vîna: 'Arhat! Propagate the religion which is a blessing to all creatures in the world!' vi.
When the gods and goddesses. (of the four orders of) Bhavanapatis, Vyantaras, Gyotishkas, and Vimânavâsins had become aware of the Venerable Ascetic Mahavira's intention to retire from the world, they assumed their proper form, dress, and ensigns, ascended with their proper pomp and splendour, together with their whole retinue, their own vehicles and chariots, and rejecting all gross matter, retained only the subtle matter. Then they rose and with that excellent, quick, swift, rapid, divine motion of the gods they came down again crossing numberless continents and oceans till they arrived in Gambûdvîpa at the northern Kashtriya part of the place Kundapura; in the north-eastern quarter of it they suddenly halted. (18)
Sakra, the leader and king of the gods, quietly and slowly stopped his vehicle and chariot, quietly and slowly descended from it and went apart. There he underwent a great transformation, and produced by magic a great, beautiful, lovely, fine-shaped divine pavilion 16, which was ornamented with many designs in precious stones, gold, and pearls. In the middle part of that divine pavilion he produced one great throne of the same description, with a footstool. (19)
Then he went where the Venerable Ascetic Mahâvira was,