Study of Jainism

Author(s): T G Kalghatgi
Publisher: Prakrit Bharti Academy

Page 59

Study of Jainism
Aristanēmi and asked him "Bhante, How is it that I am not able to decide upon taking the vow of renunciation.?" Ariştanēmi, said, "O, Krişpa, you are a karma-yogi. Your services are needed to society. You are Vasudeva and you cannot take to sanyasa''. However, Aristanēmi predicted that in the next Utsarpiņi age, in the city called 'S'atadvara' he would be the 11th tirthankara named Amama. He would preach to the people for several years and then attain the highest state of perfection.23 Digambara tradition gives a description of the Pandavas taking Diksa (renunciation). The Pandavas heard the news of the burning of the Dvaraka city. the death of Sri Krişna and were awakened to the realisation of the impermenant nature of this phenomenal world.24 They went to Ariştanēmi who was at that time in the Pallava country. They took the Diksa. Kunti, Droupadi and Subhadra went to the nun Rajamati and accepted the vow of pravraja at her hands.25
Tirthankara Ariştanēmi was now moving in Souraştra country. He realised that he was nearing the last days of his life here in this world. He then decided to go to Girnar mountain.28 The Aghatikarmas were destroyed. And he reached the Syata mokṣa on the mount Girnar, along with several hundred other munis.27 Slightly varied interpretations about the last days of Pandavas are to be found, in the Svetambara tradition and the Vedic Mahabharata. The Svetambara version of the incident mentions the improbabality of Pandavas meeting Tirthankara Ariştanēmi personally on the Girnar mountain, because by the time they reached the place, the tirthankara had attained Nirvana. 28 They went to Siddhacala mountain and there they became mukta. However, in all the traditions there is the mention of the fact that the Pandavas gave up worldly pleasures and took to renunciation. The Sangha of tirthankara Ariştanēmi was very large. Harivaṁsapurana gives a graphic description of the tirtha as consisting of 11 ganadharas, 400 Upadhyayas (teachers), 1500 Avadhi-Jñanis (having clairvoyant knowledge) 9000 vipulamati manaḥparyaya jñanis (having talepathic cognition) and 800 vasis (logicians) and 1100 sadhus. 29 Rajamati had 40,000 Āryikas.30 We have, here, presented a brief outline of the life story of tirthankara Ariştanēmi, the 22nd tirthankara. His life is intimately linked up with the life incidents of Sri Krişna and of Yadu family. We have, as far as possible