________________
Mahāvideha
574
There are in all five Mahāvideha regions: one in Jambuddīva, two in Dhayaisamḍa and two in Pukkharaddha līva.19
19. JivM. p. 39, AcaCu. p. 133, Praj. 47, AcaSip. 178.
2. Mahāvideha
1. Jam. 85.
Presiding god of the Mahavideha region.1
Mahavira Twenty-fourth i.e. the last Titthamkara of Osappiņi (the current descending cycle) in the Bharaha(2) region. He was born 250 years after the emancipation of Pasa(1). In his previous birth he was Namḍana(6).3 He was contemporary of Titthamkara Variseṇa(5) of the Eravaya(1) region. His height was seven ratnis. He was of the complexion of heated gold. He belonged to the Naya(2) clan.7
When in the current descending cycle much time of the fourth era i.e. Dūsamasusamā had elapsed and seventy-five years and eight and a half months still remained, on the sixth day of the bright half of the month of Asāḍha, when the moon was in conjuction with the Hatthuttară constellation, Mahavira descended from the Pupphuttara celestial abode on the expiry of his period of life as a god. Then he took the form of an embryo in the womb of Devāṇamdā (2), wife of Brāhmaṇa Usabhadatta(1) of the southern Brahmanical part of the Kumdapura settlement in the southern half of the Bharaha region in Jambuddiva. He possessed three-fold knowledge. With regard to this event e.g. he knew that he was to decend, he knew that he had descended, he did not know that he was descending since that time i.e. the time of descending was very small.
Devāṇamdā saw the following forteen objects in her dream in that night : an elephant, a bull, a lion, an anointment, a garland, the moon, the sun, a flag, a vase, a lotus-lake, the ocean, a celestial abode, a heap of jewels and a flame.10
Then the following idea struck to the mind of Sakka(3), the king of gods. It has never happened, nor does it happen, nor will it happen that Arhats, Cakkavaṭṭis, Baladevas(2) or Vasudevas(1) take birth in low families, mean families, degraded families, poor families, indigent families, beggars' families or Brahmin families. They are always born in Ugga families, Bhoga families, Rainna families, Ikkhāga(2) families, Khattia families, Harivamsa(1) families or in such other families. This is a wonderful thing that Titthayara Mahāvīra has taken the form of an embryo in the womb of Brāhmaṇa lady Deva
1. Sam. 24, 157, Nan. v. 19, Sth. 53,
AvaN. 424.
2. AvaN. (Dipikā). p. 82.
3. Sam. 157.
4. Tir. 335.
5. Sam. 7, Sth. 568, Tir. 364.
6. AvaN. 377, Tir. 343.
Jain Education International
7. Aca. 2. 179, Kalp. 110, Pras. 4. 8. Dahiṇamāhaṇakumḍapura in Aca. 2. 176, whereas Mahana Kumdaggama in Kalp. 2.
9. Aca. 2. 176, Kalp. 2-3, Tir. 708, AvaN. 458ff, AvaCu. I. p. 236. 10. Kalp. 4.
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
