Risabha Deva

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

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All this will take place gradually, alınost imperceptedly, and in some places there will even appear periodic signs of growth. The arresting of the downward movement will, however, be a temporary affair. The tendency generally everywhere will be for things to go from bad to worse. In respect of religion, Bharatvarsa will become irreligious, and the maleksha countries lying round about it will become enlightened. This part of the prophecy is likely to be soon fulfilled. For Religion can only live in the land of intelligence, but Bhāratvarsa can only boast of about ten per cent of literacy today. And out of this small proportion of literate men and women the number of those who are really intellectual will be perhaps one in a thousand. It may be safely taken then that the intellectual centre of the world is shifting from India to foreign lands! What is most likely to happen next is the discovery of the soul-nature by European and American peoples, which is likely to be made in the course of the current century, thus fulfilling the Jaina prophecy!
RISABHA DEVA
Throughout the panchama kala, however, Religion will continue to exist on our globe. The continuity of the sangha (community of the faithful) will be maintained right up to its very end. There will be at least one saint, one nun, one householder, and one pious female follower of the Lord Jinendra in the world.
When only three moments will be left in the running kāla rājā (kingship), agni (fire) and dharma (religion) will be destroyed, one after the other, in