Risabha Deva

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

Page 34

CHAPTER III
BIRTH AND CHILDHOOD It was in the last part of the night of the dark half of the second of the month of Asådha that the WORLD TEACHER was conceived by the illustrious Queen of Nābhi Rai, The moon was at the time in the constellation known as the Uttarásâdha. In the morning the celebrations were held, as we have already seen.
Muy celestial maidens came to attend on the Mother of God, of their own accord, at the instance of the Lord of the first Heaven. They assisted Maru Dev. in all ways, and kept her cheerful and bright.
• There is always something different in a WORLD TEACHIER to distinguish Him from the rest of humanity. Risabha Deva's embryonic growth was also marked by many wonderful signs. There were no signs of pregnancy apparent in the body of the Mother; she was cheerful and bright all the time, and hier intelligence, already keen and penetrating, grew further with the growth of the Divine Child in her womb. The wouldbe Mother of the greatest Hero that was to be born, she now discarded the looking glass and began to look at her face in the lustre of a naked sword !
In this way the days of pregnancy (nine months and seven days) were pas:ed. The birth of Risabha Deva was marked with many wonderful signs-the directions were clarified; a wave of peace passed over the entire universe, even the denizens of hells experiencing