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VIVIDHATIRTHA-KALPA
177
Pārsvanāthu-tirtha 1: In ancient times there was the image of Sri Pārsva-nātha in Campā in the suburbs of Ratnā. kara. Sohamma Vāsava worshipped it. Later, in the forest of Dandaka, two asuras (demons), realizing the influence of Rāghava, offered it to Rāmabhadra. The daughter of Videha with Raghupungava worshipped it. It was also worshipped by Sakra. Krsna and Valarāma were born of the line of Yadu. Keśava got a kingdom in Yovana. Krsna installed an image of Pārýva on a sanctified spot in the town of Sankhapura. The festival of ablution at Dvārāvati dates from that. He worshipped the image after duly installing it in a temple which miraculously escaped destruction when the city of Dvārāvati was consumed by fire. The sea engulfed this beautiful temple and the image along with Dvārāvatī. Dhanesvara, a merchant of the town of Kānti, rescued the image of the Lord from the water while returning from Simhala and took it to his native town where he began to worship it after installing it in a temple erected for the purpose.
After the death of Dhanešvara, Nāgārjuna, the chief of saints, brought that image home by the celestial path for checking passions (rasastambhana), from which circumstance the place was called Stambhanakatirtha. People used to worship it as a demon. The merit derived from offering gifts and oblations at Pāvā, Campā, Aştāvata, Raivata, Sammeda, Vimala, Saila, Kāśi, Nāsik, Mithilā, Rājagļha, etc., is acquired simply by the sight of the image of Pārsvanātha.
Kādambarī is a forest near Campā. Here is also a mountain called Kāli. Below this is a large tank called Kunda. Here lived an elephant named Mahihara. Once Pārsvanātha wandered about for four months in front of Kālikunda. The elephant saw the Lord and remembering the condition of his previous birth, brought lotuses from the tank and worshipped the Lord with them. King Karakaņdu was sad not finding the Lord here. Now, it so happened that a high image sprang up from under the earth. The king duly worshipped it and built a temple for its installation. From this circumstance the place became known as Kālikundatīrtha.
i It is also known as Sametaśikhara situated in tho Hazaribagh district very frequently visited by the Jains. The height of this hill is about 5,000 ft. There is a Digambara Jain temple on the top of the hill and some Svetāmbara temples stand at its foot. Pārsvanātha before his passing away came to the foot of tho hill and obtained emancipation (B. C. Law, Geographical Essuy8, p. 213.)
