Risabha Deva

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

Page 45

WORLD-LIGHT AND SANNYAS
31
and face. The Lord of the celestials picked up these hairs, and placed them in a jewelled casket. They were subsequently dropped into the distant Ocean, Kshira Sagar.
After pulling out His hairs in the manner described above, Risabha Deva proceeded to remove His clothes and the jewele that He wore. He kept nothing with Him of the Worldly goods, and became a Digambara (destitute of all vestiges of clothes). He discarded not only all external burdens, but also as much of the internal burdens as He could at the time. By birth He was endowed with Clairvnvance in addition to the usual forms of krowledge with which hum’ınity is endowed; and he now acquired what may be called Subtler Mental Perfection (the power to know the innermost thoughts of living and dead per:onages), in consequence of the great Renunciation.
Noless th’ın four thousand chiefs and chieftains followed Him on the Path; but they merely did so either out of the regard they had for Him, or through a fit of passing enthusiasm, without really realizing what they were doing and why.
Knowing the powers of His Great Spirit, that had been developed through many lives in the past, the WORLD TEACHER became immersed in Holy meditation, resolving not to break His fast before the end of six months. He stood in the standing yoga posture, immovable like a rock, tranquil aud undisturbed all the time !