Set Of Eight Books

Author(s): Ratnaprabhvijay
Publisher: Jain Siddhant Society

Page 9

Vol 1 Part I Royal Octavo Size. Cloth-bound with Illustrations. Pages about 400. Price in Union of Hindusthāna. Rs. 8 (Eight). Packing and Postage extra. Foreign 16 s. U. S. of America. $. 4-0-0.
Sramana Bhagavān Mahāvira.
Vol I Part II CHAPTER I. Sixteenth Previous Bhava-Birth of Viśvabhati Kumāra-Viśvabhati Kumāra going to Puspa-karaņķaka garden for amusement during Spring-Festival-Viśvabhati Kumara treacherously sent with a large army to fight with a frontier feudatory prince at the instigation of Queen Madana-lèkhã. When Viśvabhati Kumāra returned home he realised that it was a well-designed plan of Madana-lèkhā to drive him out from the garden to make room for her son Viśākha-nandi. Becoming enraged at this insulting diplomacy, Viśvabhūti Kumāra renounces the pleasurable enjoyments of the world and he takes Bhāgavati Dikşá at the hands of Acārya Sambhati Sari. Visvabhūti Muni practised severe austerities during his ascetic life and went to various towns and villages with the object of preaching the principles of the Tirthařkaras-When Visvabhati Muni-whose body had become greatly debilitated by continuous fastings and strict penances-was going for alms after a continuous fasting of one month at Mathura (Muttrā), he was accidentally knooked down by a rushing cow. On seeing that Viśvabhati Muni had fallen down on the ground owing to a strong impact with the body of the cow, his cousin Višākha-nandi who had gone to Mathurā with a number of his attendents on his marriage-ceremony with the daughter of the king of that place, began to orack jokes at the withered condition of the body of Viśvabhūti Muni. The penitent Muni was greatly offended, and he made a niyaņa-nidāna-(a firm determination ) to be able to possess after death, sufficient strength to kill all those persons at one blow, by way of revenge. 'Although Visvabhati Muni was repeatedly advised by Sthaviras and others to desit from the attempt, he did not leave off his firm resolution, and having died without