Book Title: Swayambhustotra
Author(s): Vijay K Jain
Publisher: Vikalp

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Page 234
________________ Appendix-2 He was reflecting on His past incarnations and realized that only through the subjugation of the five senses can one get rid of worldly sufferings. He renounced all worldly pursuits and adopted the path to liberation by accepting the rigorous austerities as prescribed in the Holy Scripture. Laukāntika devas from Brahmaloka came down to worship the Lord. After spending 4 months in holy asceticism (chadmasthakāla), Lord Pārsvanātha established Himself in the karma-destroying pure concentration (śukla dhyāna) in a dense forest. Incidentally, the craft of Saṁvara deva which was hovering in the sky above the forest stopped due to the divine influence of Lord Pārsvanātha. The deva (Mahīpāla’s incarnation) became extremely angry and started to disturb the concentration of the Lord through terrible thunderstorm - frightening flashes of lightning, thunderbolts, strong winds, and torrential rain. Dharanendra deva immediately came to know of the disturbance, rushed to the spot, and covered Lord Pārsvanātha with the bower-shaped spread of a large number of serpent-hoods. Padmāvatī devī also spread a divine canopy over the venerable Lord. Lord Pārsvanātha completed His pure concentration and attained the all-embracing knowledge – Omniscience (kevalajñāna). The devas erected a heavenly Pavilion (samavasaraṇa) befitting Lord's glory to celebrate the grand event. The Samvara deva, shedding his animosity of past lives, also came in the samavasaraņa, made deep obeisance to the Lord and adopted the virtue of Right Belief in His presence. The time period of Lord's renunciation (samyamakāla) was 70 years out of which He spent 69 years and 8 months as Omniscient (kevalakāla). Lord Pārsvanātha lived for 100 years and attained liberation (nirvāņa) from Sammeda Sikhara on the seventh day of the bright half of the month of Srāvana - śrāvaņa śukla saptamī. Chief among the Lord's Apostles (ganadhara) was sage 209

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