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९. अजित
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sara is looked upon as the first incarnation of Bhagavan Mahavira. This right vision is said to be the foundation of the status of a supreme being and also the germination of spiritual liberation.
The third painting shows the 25 births of Bhagavan Mahavira in miniature. This would provide a rough idea about the fact that if the soul ceases to remain awakened even after right vision, it has to pass through ascendence and descendence during forward movement and through up and down during the course of spiritual evolution.
First Birth: Nayasara, the head of the village goes to the forest for cutting the trees. To fulfil his vow of dining only after offering food to a stranger who comes to him, he was waiting for the arrival of a stranger when he saw two ascetics approaching him. Being extremely happy he ste pped forward and paid his respects to them. The ascetics. who has lost their way blessed him with the words; "May you have the benefit of religion" (The actual words of traditional blessing in Jainism are 'Dharma Labha'). He led the ascetics carefully to his house. Being a man of the golden age he had intense respect and devotior towards the ascetics. He welcomed them at home and offered food and when the ascetics had finished the meals, he guided them on the right path through the jungle. He received religious instructions on the way from the chief ascetic. Nayasara received such religious instructions for the first time and so he listened with keen interest. Nayasara who was going to become Bhagavan Mahavira in future was showing the physical track to the ascetics who were showing to him the path of spiritual liberation. As his soul was fully prepared to receive such religious instructions, the veils of attachment vanished.. The nectar-like words of the religious instruction spread the sublime light of right vision which was part of supreme enlightenment. It was this very streak of light which finally raised him as Bhagavan Mahavira, the Saviour in his 27th incarnation, the culmination of all the merits achieved right from this very first incarnation.
Nayasara was born in the world of gods in his second life when he died. (The first strip illustrates what is stated above.)
The Third Birth: With the completion of the span of life in the world divine Nayasara was born as Marichi the son of emperor-Bharata, the first son of Rishabh Deva3, the saviour of this age and better known as Adinath Prabhu. As the seed of right vision was already sown in the previous incarnation, it detached him from worldly pleasures. Marichi listened to the touching discourses from Rishabh Deva, the first saviour who initiated him as a disciple and placed him in charge of an old ascetic for instructions and service (See the second strip).
While on a holy walk from place to place Marichi, the ascetic was unable to bear the abnormal heat and thirst during the summer. He was disgusted with the perspiration. Being frustrated he thought: "What should I do as selfcontrol is quite unbearable?" He was confused by such degrading thoughts and the brave ascetic who had transcended the gross aspect of life, was thus overcome by cowardice. A broken mind means a broken life and he lost his tenacity. Marichi, the ascetic was tempted by physical com
2. The author who belongs to the Digambar branch of Jainism mentions not Nayasara but Pururava, a non-vegetarian Bhil (aborigine) and he is depicted as becoming enlightened and non-violent through the instructions from Sagar Muni, an ascetic..
3. Rishbhadeva was accepted as a supreme being by the Jains and he is looked upon as one of 24 incarnations of God by millions of non-Jains who listen to his detailed life as described in Bhagavata Purana which has profusely praised him as the best among the incarnations. Besides, there are numerous references to Rishabha or Vrishabha in the Vedas Puranas and other ancient
texts.
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forts. He hesitated to return home but it was equally hard to wear the dress of an ascetic while remaining thus degraded. After a lot of hard thinking he decided to continue to wear the dress of a Sanyasi (recluse) and to accept only that part of the code of conduct which would keep him away from physical discomforts and which would keep him in joyful mood. So he wore the ochrecoloured robe and kept the sacred staff trisected at the top. He used unboiled water, used an umbrella, wore footwear, accepted anything indiscriminately and stopped plucking his hair (See strip second: illustration third).
Marichi was an authority over the eleven scriptures called Agama Shastras and though degraded thus the divine light though dim in him was still there and he maintained his faith in principles of Jainism and so he preached what he should and said: "Rishabh Deva, the saviour knows what is true religion. So contact him and be initiated." The listeners approached Rishabh Deva, the saviour and accepted the path of ascetism.
Once it so happened that Bharata, the supreme ruler asked Rishabh Deva: "Is there anyone in your assembly, who is destined to be a saviour?".
Rishabh Deva said: "Your own son Marichi who wears the dress of a recluse, though slack in conduct will be the last among the twentyfour saviours during the present span of time and will be known as Vardhamana Mahavira. Besides, he will be the first Vasudeva named Triprishtha and a supreme ruler of your stature and will be named as Priya Mitra in the city of Mooka in Mahavideha". Wouldn't a father rejoice to hear about the three prospective types of status for his son? Bharata, the supreme ruler bade farewel to Rishabh Deva and hurried towards Marichi and said: "I bow down, not to your attire as a recluse but to you whom I know to be the twenty-fourth saviour. You are also going to be the first Vasudeva and also Priya Mitra, the supreme ruler in Mahavideha". He became puffed up with the ego about his noble family. Marichi who used an umbrella, wore wooden footwear and ochre-coloured robe felt happy out of ego and while dancing with joy he exclaimed: "How great is our family! My grand father is the first saviour of this age, my father is the supreme ruler and I would be the first Vasudeva!" When his ego reached the climax, he was bound to fall. The scriptures declare: "Never be proud of wealth, learning or power but be more humble like the tree which bows down with the advent of fruits. Or else the next life will reverse your fortune."
In the third strip Marichi is shown as dancing and the four small circles at the top show the nature and the result of the pride of the high family.
In the middle of the third strip the aerial car, symbolic of the divine world is depicted, and under it the demon's face symbolic of hell is shown. The numbers on both the sides of the aerial car show, the alternative incarnations as Brahmins and recluses. Instead of showing the aerial car symbolising the incarnations as gods, the numbers of such incarnations are mentioned. The numbers of incarnations in the hell are given under the symbol of hell. Being originally born in a family of sinners Bhagavan Mahavira had to have his ignoble birth as Brahmins who were mainly inclined to beg and he had to become recluse bearing a trisected staff. The result of such actions continued to remain in balance till Bhagavan Mahavira was in his final incarnation (It is a must for a saviour to be born in the family of Kshatriyasthe ruling class) born in a Brahmin family and he had to remain as a foetus for 82 days in the womb of Devananda, a Brahmin woman. Then Indra, the ruler of heaven got the foetus removed by a god who then implanted the same in the womb of Trishala the queen of the ruling class (See the fifth
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