Book Title: Pat Darshan
Author(s): Kalpana K Sheth, Nalini Balbir
Publisher: Jain Vishva Bharati

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Page 142
________________ Brahmin has been told by the family deity to bring fire from an auspicious house where no one has died, and believes that Sagara can offer this since he is more powerful than anybody else, but the Cakravartin tells his family history and explains that no ancestor has survived death in his house. In the Satr Mah. VIII.323 bringing ashes from a house where death has never occurred is the solution suggested but inapplicable as every household, even the king's, has had experience of death. Then the news came that the course of the Ganga flowed everywhere. Sagara came to Shatrunjaya with Bhagiratha, the son of Jinakumara. They undertook a restoration of the sacred place. Indra requested Bhagiratha to bring the Ganga (overflowing from the moat) into the ocean in order to protect Shatrunjaya from difficult times further ahead. Bhagiratha gave a command to the deity called Svastika to bring the Ganga on earth, and then to the hill. Indra requested Sagara who requested the deity that the Ganga should be at a distance of 20 gavyutas. > Trisasti. II.6.533ff. (no mention of the deity there); SatrMah. VIII.436ff. 4) Basic information about Ajitanatha: see the chart above and section 3. below. Story meant to explain the name "Satrunjaya", i.e. victory over enemies, which dates back to the time of the fourth Jina, Abhinandana. This name comes from the fact that the king Suka could have victory on his enemies in this place. Sukarajan was the name of king Mrgadhvaja's son, and was earlier known as Jitasatru. This king had decided to abstain from the four types of food. He went on a pilgrimage to Siddhacala. On the way, the Kashmir forest came. His companions encouraged him to break his fast, saying that a body, which is made of matter, cannot survive without food and drink, and underlining that the Jinas have differentiated between the rules for general situations and those for exceptional ones. But the king did not change his mind. The community was full of anxiety. The sun set. At night all were sleeping. A false yaksa appeared in a dream to the religious teacher, to the king, to the chiefs and to the four heads (of the sangha), reassuring them that he would get them see Siddhacala on the next day. In the morning all of them woke up. They were full of joy: the yaksa had built a new Siddhacala within Kashmir. With the king at their head the group made a pilgrimage and their resolution was fulfilled. Jitasatru worshipped the Lord. He went away and came back seven or eight times, and then was advised to stay there. He founded the town of Vimalapura. The king and his two wives, Hamsi and Sarasi stayed there and worshipped the Lord. In the meantime a parrot came. It was beautiful and attracted the king's mind. His last hour came. He fasted unto death on Siddhacala. His two wives assisted him. The king's mind was still attached to the parrot. After his death he was reborn as a parrot. His wives had a pious death and were reborn as deities, who had the ability to see the rebirth of their former husband through their avadhijnana. They enlightened him. After having understood his own nature from them he fasted unto death and became a god. King Sukarajan had victory over his enemies with the help of his wealth. From this day the place was known as Shatrunjaya. After having had victory over the internal enemies, namely passions, he reached Emancipation. This was also one reason why the place was known as Shatrunjaya. > Kanchansagarsuri (1982) pp. 10-13 for a narration of the story of Sukarajan, but the episodes are different from what we have here and the textual source is not indicated as such. The story is not found in Dhanesvarasuri's work. ucapfo 135

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