Studies in Jainism

Author(s): Ramkrishna Mission Institute of Culture Culcutta
Publisher: Ramkrishna Mission Institute of Culture Culcutta

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STUDIES IN JAINISM
entirely free from the wants and desires characteristic of the flesh. Establishing his own Self in its purity, uncontaminated by the defects of the body which still clings to him, filled with universal love and mercy for all living beings, worshipped by the lords of the three worlds, the firthankara spends some time in the world with the object of propounding the dharma for the benefit of the Jivas that are still entangled in sansára. After achieving his own object in life by the realization of his true Selfhood, and thus becoming endowed with knowledge, power, and bliss of infinite magnitude, the arhat or firthankara-parameşthin wanders over the country propounding the dharma and defining the path of salvation, so that others may also have the benefit of liberation from sansára.
There is the traditional belief that, for his convenience, Indra constructs an elaborate moving audience hall which serves both as a vehicle carrying the firthařkara from place to place and for accommodating the devout bhaktas (followers) eager to listen to the truth propounded by him. This is known as the samavasarana mandapa. Whenever this mandapa appears in any particular locality carrying the tirthankara, there is a reign of universal peace and harmony. Even animals naturally antagonistic to one another exhibit a tendency towards peace and goodwill to one another. The firthankara, who is omniscient (sarvajña) and is immersed in infinite bliss, is worshipped with one thousand and eight names, such as Sarvesvara, Sarvahita, Mahadeva, Maha-Vişnu, Arhadeva, etc.
Such tirthankaras appear in the world in different cosmic periods which, according to Jaina philosophy, consist of an age of evolution and growth, followed by an age of dissolution and decay. The former is called utsarpini and the latter avasarpini, the two constituting the complete cosmic cycle of time. Each of these periods is subdivided into six parts, and the present world-period represents the period of decay or avasarpini, of which the current division is the fifth time-period called pañcama-kāla. In the period immediately prior to this, the fourth period of avasarpini. appeared all the twenty-four tirthankaras of the modern world-period. These are Rşabha or Vrsabha or Adi, Ajita,