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INTRODUCING Bhagavan Mahavira's 26 Preceding Births & The Forty Eight Paintings
By:Muri Yashovijay
NOTE: More light is thrown here on the paintings about the life of Bhagavan Mahavira and its salient features are set forth. Besides, comprehensive explanation is presented here about the 25 preceding births of Bhagavan Mahavira as depicted in the Third painting. This information will prove to be both inspiring as well as interesting and would give an idea of the past life and the spiritual practices of an ordinary person who rises in the twenty-seventh birth as Supreme Being, stage by stage.
THE NARRATION OF 26 BIRTHS
The introduction as whole would throw remarkable light on various aspects of human nature and behaviour particularly during the course of the long-drawn battle between the animate soul the gross deeds, on the variegated wonders and the unique impact of actions, on the plight and degradation of the soul which falls a prey to the dangerous objects of the senses and the sins of anger, ego, avarice etc. on the occasional happy co-incidents, on their resultant ascendence and descendence, on the rigorous spiritual practice with an aim of piety so that all beings may attain true bliss, on the treading upon the royal path after traversing the narrow route as a result of such piety, on the exhibition of the power to eliminate evil actions which obstruct the attainment of infinite powers including that of enlightenment by the soul which is capable of attaining the status of a supreme being and on the glowing success of the final achievements of becoming supreme being as a re success etc. Painting 1: The golden image of Bhagavan Mahavira, the skill that it can be used to present any Tirthankar. One has saviour seated in lotus posture (padmasana) on a lotus- only to get 'Lanchhan' (the special mark of identification of shaped golden seat. The lotus bears the symbol of a lion. a particular Tirthankar) drawn on a separate slip and There is also another lotus-shaped golden stand known as place it in the place kept for it. Then the work is over. I did Padapeeth. Bhagavan rests one foot on his stand while not know when I would publish an album containing the rising from a high seat. He also keeps both his feet on this pictures of twentythree Tirthankars. So I decided to publistand while delivering the religious discourse. This stand is sh this very attractive picture as Bhagavan Mahavira in provided particularly at the auditorium for the spiritual the third edition of the album. The place and position of the gathering, by divine beings.
'Lanchhan' is kept in such a way in this picture that it can Painting 2: A grand picture of an icon of an Arihant along
be used to present any Tirthankar. I wanted to publish the with his eight divine accompaniments (Ashta Maha Prati
picture of Bhagavan Mahavira with his eight divine acharya) was not prepared so far. So this grand and attra
companiments in the first edition itself but was unable to ctive picture is drawn. If one desires to make an 'Ananu
do it. Everyone will be delighted to see such a fine picture. purvi' (A sort of a table with numbers prepared to recite
Three divine umbrellas (chhatra), the throne, Indra etc., Mantra) or if one proposes to worship an Arihant collecti.
dear to me, are very artistically portrayed in this picture vely one needs such a fine picture to keep in front. There
Such a picture is rarely seen in Jain Sangha. fore a beautiful picture of Shri Adishwar Bhagavan is prepared for the album of the pictures of Shri Adishwar
Introducing 25 Births Bhagavan. The Picture, however, is prepared with such
Painting 3: According to Jainism no person is a supreme
being from the outset as he possesses all the attributes of L. Ancient texts differ about the calculation of the 27 incarnations. Niryukti Churni Vritti, Trishashtishalaka Purusha Charitra and the commentaries
an ordinary individual and can become a supreme being on Kalpa Sutra etc. look upon 27th incarnation as that when Bhagavan through Karmas-eliminating practices or right vision, Mahavira was in the form of a foetus in the womb of Devananda and was right knowledge and right conduct. Immeasurable time has born from the womb of Trishala. But Samavayanga Sutra and its commentary note the 26th incarnation from the birth through the womb of
passed and as such there had been innumerable supreme Devananda and the anh birth from the birth (1) through the womb of beings. Immeasurable time will still pass on but for the Trishala
convenience of calculation the conceivable time is looked Again Niryukti Vritti, Trishashti and certain commentaries on Kalpa Sutra upon as having six segments during which 24 supreme mention the 22nd birth as that of a human being but those texts have not provided any details about the place of birth, name, span of life ete. The only
beings-saviours flourish. Again, each of the saviour has reference is that during this human birth he had earned merits to make an individual soul. Here the soul of Bhagavan Mahavira him a supreme being through penance and so he was born in a royal family
was, from time immemorial enveloped by Karmas and as but Mahavira Charit' composed by Gunabhadra notes his birth in the divine world at the end of his human incarnation. While the author of Samavayanga
in the case of ordinary persons in the world was impure has not recognized the twentieth human incarnation
and moving through births. How can all the preceding Mahavira Charitra (2) written by Nandlal Vakil mentions the 22nd incar. births of a being be comprehended? However the first of nation as that of the prince Vimal.
the twenty-seven births taken into consideration is that It is incomprehensible to grasp two incamations through the same birth which was the starting point of spiritual development or
While going through references about the 27 incarnations we have found when the light of the right vision which is the basis of no reference to the incarnation as prince Vimal "The source for this therefore
spiritual liberation commenced. Thus the birth as Nayais still enigmatie.
जैन धर्मनु न प्रतीक (१४ राजलोक)
has the place of birth he he was be
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