Tirthankar Mahavir and His Sarvodaya Tirth

Author(s): Hukamchand Bharilla, K C Lalwani
Publisher: Kundkund Kahan Digambar Jain Trust

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TIRTHANKARA MAHAVIRA AND HIS SARVODAYA TIRTHA
pious and inspiring words and gave up wine and meat The Bhila king fulfilled the vow till the end of his life and after death, he was reborn as a god in the first heaven named
Saudharma.
Having completed his life in the first heaven, he came down to be born as a son to Emperor Bharata named Marici. Along with his grand parent Risabhadeva, he was initiated into a nudist monk-hood, but like the other four thousand kings who were initiated simultaneously and slipped from the path, he too deviated
Most of these four thousands had respect and devotion for Risabhadeva, and so, though they had parted company because they were not receiving guidance from the leader, after he had become a celebrity, they rectified their mistake and rejoined his order. But this did not occur in the case of Marici. He assumed the robe of a Parivrajaka monk and strove to propound a new faith like Risabhadeva. Although during his life he had acquired a great sin namely falsehood by propagating and upholding a false faith, which enlongened the time of his stay in the cycles of worldly life, still, since the time of his death, he had pious thoughts, after death, he attained the fifth heaven named Brahma
Having descended from there on the completion of his lifespan, he was born in Saketa as a son unto a Brahmin named Kapila and was called Jatila. There also, because of his past linkage, he became a Parivrajaka monk, and on death, he became a god in the fifth heaven. Then he was born as Pusyamitra, a son unto a Brahmin named Bharadvaja There also the situation repeated and he was born again as a god in the first heaven
Then followed a series when he became a Brahmin named Agnisaha followed by a life in the third heaven named Sanat Kumara, another Brahmin Agnimitra followed by the fourth heaven Mahendra and still another Brahmin named Bharadvaja followed by the same fourth heaven.
In all these, he passed through similar experiences. Though