________________
PREFACE: XXIII
as a holy place of pilgrimage, it has been stated in the exhortation by omniscient Atimuktaka, to Saint Nārada, that the whole of Pundarikagiri hill-top has always been worshipped by the humans and the gods and that it has always been taken shelter of by the spiritually inclined. (verse 7)
Discussing about the origin of Pundarikagiri and the gains of its pilgrimage and those of charity thereon, it has been said that Dhātakikhanda born Saint Nārada, upon beholding the Lord Prophet (Tīrtharikara) in the Mahāvideha region, sees the radiance of the gods on the Pundarikagiri located in the middle of the southern Bharata region. On reaching there he is surprised at the sight of Saint Atimuktaka who was surrounded by the four types of gods. When St. Nārada expressed a desire to know about the name of Pundarikagiri and the reason for its being so worshipped, omniscient Saint Atimuktaka Kumāra gave him the following description. (verses 8–16)
According to the text of this prakirnaka, Pundarika was the grandson of the first Lord Prophet (Tīrtharikara) of the present descendent aeon of time (Avasarpini kāla), Lord Rsabhadeva. He was motivated to renounce the mundane world and become a monk during his very first religious congregation (Samavasarana). (verses 17–18)
Motivating the congregation towards the renunciation of the mundane, the Lord preached that the very worldly existence is full of pain and sorrow. The subhuman species (tiryañca) experience great pain; the hellish creatures experience greater pain and the unrighteous humans experience even greater pain. Even the gods experience the pain of death. All worldly relations like mother, father, son, daughter, wife, husband, near and dear ones, friends
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
