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Life Story of Rsabhadeva
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beauty increased day by day. At the very fourteenth night of waxing moon of the month of Āsādha, Marudevi had fourteen significant dreams?!. Among them the first dream was bull or Vrşava. When he was born the moon was in conjunction with Uttarásādha. The Lord was born with a fragrance in his body and a mark of bull (vrşava) in his thigh. Therefore, he was named as ķşabhadeva. Since a bull was seen first by his mother in her dream, the delighted parents named him Rşabha22. Many distinguished persons came to see Lord and blessed him. After that they went away and observed the ceremony of Astāhnika-parva in Nandiśvara Dvipa. Rşabhadeva had many auspicious marks in his body. He was very healthy and divinely beautiful child with four Atiśayas. In his childhood he was called as Purudeva. Those supernatural personas, which even person of high spiritual capability with siddhis could not attain, were inborn to him. Adipurāņa says that three types of knowledge- Mati (sensuous cognition), Śruta (scriptural knowledge) and Avadhi(clairvoyance) were in born to him23. He was a lover of nature and liked to play with birds like Cuckoo, Swan and Peacock. He never afraid of playing with an elephants, a horse and a bull. He was talented enough and tried to equate the sounds of his bird and animal playmates with the conventional seven notes of Indian music. The time when a baby sucks his thumb being over, Rşabhadeva acquired second stage. He lived on fruits brought by gods from Uttarkuru and special type of drinks instead of taking boiled rice like Arhata.
At his youth he was married with Sumangalā and Sunandā, the beautiful twin ladies who had lost their parents. Some yugalikas approached Nābhi for her security. Simple and kindhearted Nābhi agreed to accept them as daughter-in-law24 and finally Rşabhadeva was married with Sumangalā and Sunandā. Rșabhadeva enjoyed pleasures with his wives for a long time. When a little less than six Pūrvas had passed after the wedding Sumangalā, like Marudevā, saw fourteen great dreams. The Mistress related the dreams to the Master who said unhesitatingly, "Your son will be Cakrabhịta".
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