Risabha Deva

Author(s): Champat Rai Jain
Publisher: Jain Mitra Mandal

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RISABHA DEVA
The Achyutendra became the son of King Bajra Sen and Queen śrikāntā, on the termination of his life in the sixteenth heaven. He was named Bajranābhi. His body was resplendent, and shone like bright gold; he had m: ny auspicious marks on his person, and was unusually intelligerit and sagacious.
The Pratendra from ihe sixteenth heaven, too, was born in the same land. He became Dhanadatta, the son of the great banker Kuberdatta, from his wife Anantamati. Bajravăbhi later appointed him the lord chamberlain of his household. Thus did karma bring the old friends together once again!
Bajra Sen retired, in the fullness of time, from the concerns of the world, and took to asceticism. Bajranābhi succeeded him, and became a great Emperor. He enjoyed great power and royal pomp for many years, and in the end followed the example of his father, and entered the holy orders.
Bajra Sen had, in the meanwhile, attained to omniscience and Tirthankara-hood.
The Status of a Tirthankara is the most difficult thing to obtain in the world. It ir attained only by four and twentv souls in the course of half a cycle of time comprising innumerable millions of years. The causes that lead to Tirthamkarahood are, among others, a burning desire to remove the misery of the world, to carry enlightenment and joy to the hearts of all living beings, perfect faith, profound veneration for the true objects of veneration, namely, the Teacher, the Scripture of Truth and