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illustration). Birth as Marichi shows the inter-changing role of darkness and light, which play the game of hide and seek in human life. The incident shows how our evil tendencies continue from birth to birth and warns us to keep away from them.
Then it so happened that Marichi fell sick and none among the true self-controlled ascetics came forward to nurse him as he was self-willed and a hypocrite. He realized the folly and decided to prepare faithful disciples as none of the ascetics taught by him nursed him in sickness. When he recovered, he taught the true religion. Marichi inspired Kapila, the royal prince to accept the life of an ascetic. "Why don't you practise what you preach?" asked the prince. "It is beyond my capacity," replied Marichi.
"Does this mean that what you follow at present is not religion?" asked the prince.
Marichi was confused as Kapila, the prince appeared to be a hard nut to crack. He was afraid, a true answer would drive away the prince from initiation. He was unwilling to express his limitations. However he said, "O Kapila, religion is here as well as there." Finally he initiated Kapila as a disciple. As he substituted falsehood for truth, the long cycle of worldly lives was reserved for him. (See the last picture in the third strip in the second painting.) Without repentence for the sin, Marichi had birth, in the fifth world of gods.
Sixteenth Birth: From the fifteenth birth in the world of gods Bhagavan Mahavira was born in the Sixteenth birth as Vishvabhuti, the son of Vishakhabhuti, the brother of Vishakhanandi who was the ruler of the city of Rajagriha. In this birth the past Brahminic tendencies of living on doles had partly worn out and he was thus born in the family of rulers.
Once youg Vishvabhuti was sporting with his harem in the royal garden though such entertainment by right should have been reserved for Vishakhanandi, the crown-prince. The jealous maids injected jealousy into the mind of the queen who expressed her displeasure against the ruler's connivance, despite great persuasion. The ruler wanted to maintain the status quo but being confused he consulted the minister and planned out a strategy. Vishvabhuti was asked to undertake a military expedition against a neighbouring ruler. The ideal son obeyed the father at once, left all the amorous sports in the garden and rushed to the battle field.
Vishakhanandi occupied the vacant garden, with his harem for amorous sporting. Vishvabhuti who marched to the neighbouring kingdom found no reason for a war and returned. The watchman stopped him from entering the garden and said I was already occupied by Vishakhanandi with his royal wives for amorous sports. Clever Vishvabhuti at once realised the strategy of the elders to create condition favourable for Vishakhanandi to occupy the garden. Being enraged he struck a tree of woodapples nearby so hard with his fists that the falling woodapples covered the ground. He said to the gatekeeper: "Like woodapples the heads of all of you would have fallen to the ground if I lacked in devotion to my father and lacked in the quality of preserving the presti ge of the family. My elders conspired against me despite my deep faith in them and my open-hearted devotion towards them." Thus offended he got disgusted at the selfishness and deceptions as prevailed in the world. He renounced the worldly life and accepted the life of an ascetic through Arya Sambhuti, an old religious teacher who initiated him into the order of the ascetics. Great was the penance practised by Vishvabhuti who fasted many times at a stretch for the whole month.
While Vishvabhuti was moving in the city of Mathura for Gochari (the begged food), he was recognized by the com
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pany of Vishakhanandi his cousin who had arrived there for his marriage. Vishakhanandi was enraged at the very sight of Vishvabhuti who was almost reduced to a skeleton because of rigorous penance. At this very moment Vishvabhuti was pulled down by a running cow and all the earthen vessels he carried broke into pieces. (See painting second, strip fourth on the right). Being unable to control himself Vishakhanandi said: "Where is your strength with which you brought down the woodapples?" Vishvabhuti who saw his cousin flared up and thus forgot his forbearance. To demonstrate his strength he lifted the cow by the horns and revolved her with great force and said: "May I attain, in the next birth strength enough to finish Vishakhanandi." This evil thought persisted in his mind for all the 10 million years till he lived without repentance, leaving aside the question of introspection and penitence. When he died, he was born in his SEVENTEENTH birth in the powerful world of the divine and his EIGHTEENTH birth was that of Triprishtha Vasudeva'. When he grew up, he conquered three continents by defeating Ashvagreeva who claimed to be the right Vasudeva. Triprishtha loved luxuries and objects of pleasure. One night he ordered the attendant to relieve the musicians if the sweet music induced sleep to him but the attendant became so much engrossed in the music that the music went on though Triprishtha was fast asleep. When the ruler accidentally awoke from sleep, he heard the music. Violation of his order infuriated him so much that in the morning melted led was poured into the erring ears of the guardian of his bedroom (See painting second, strip five, picture first). The attendant died there. Because of his love for objects of pleasure and sinful approach Triprishtha lost his good qualities and his NINETEENTH birth was in the seventh hell.. After passing through the horrors of the hell Nayasara who was finally to become Bhagavana Mahavira was born in his. TWENTIETH birth as a cruel and violent lion. The TWENTY-FIRST birth was in the hell. At the end of his life in the TWENTY-SECOND birth Nayasara was born as a human being who performed penance and did so much good that his next birth was destined to be that of a supreme ruler with self-control. He was then born in his TWENTY-THIRD birth as Priyamitra the supreme ruler of the city of Muka in Mahavideha. Having fully enjoyed the life of a supreme ruler he took the vow of holy conduct before Pottilacharya. and when he died, he was born in the TWENTY-FOURTH birth as a god during the age-span of Mahashukra. Since the twenty-second birth the positive attitude took place of negative attitude, and this continued. Completing his span of life in the world of the divine, he was born in his TWENTYFIFTH birth as Nandanakumar in the city of Chhatra in India. His mother was Bhadra. He led the life of a householder for 2.4 million years and when he was yet to live for one hundred thousand years still, he was initiated by Pottilacharya into the order of ascetics. Thus he took food only once every month. So great was his knowledge, self-control. and asceticism that his heart became nobler and aspired for universal brotherhood and welfare. He was prepared to make the best efforts, even self-sacrifice to gain unfailing strength for the good of all beings. To reach such a noble goal he performed external as well as internal penance marked by twenty locations. While breathing his last he solicited apologys from all beings if they were wronged (directly or indirectly). (Introduction of the Third Painting ends here).
4. Triprishtha flourised during the period of Shreyansanatha.
5. The verses of apology as offered by the ascetic Nandana are worth commit ting to memory as they are most touching. They appear in the tenth Parva of
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