Tirthankar Mahavir and His Sarvodaya Tirth

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

Page 33

BHAGAVAN MAHAVIRA : PREVIOUS BIRTHS
living on and propagating falsehood, he had always some pious thoughts which helped him again and again to acquire life in heaven But since he had an intake of falsehood, he could not remain in a blessed state for long and he slipped into the life of mobile and immobile beings which he repeated for an innumerable number of times
From there, good luck prevailing, he became a Brahmin named Sthavara, died amidst pious thoughts and was reborn in the fifth heaven called Mahendra.
Having descended from there, he was born as a prince named Visvanandı unto king Visvabhuti of Rajagriha King Visvabhuti had a younger brother named Visakhabhuti. His youngest son was Visakhananda Witnessing the dismantle of the autumn clouds, king Visvabhuti became indifferent to the world. He abdicated in favour of his younger brother Visakhabhuti, made his son Visvanandi the crown prince and moved out as a nude monk
Prince Visvanandi had a beautiful garden of his own named Manohara and he was very fond of it. One day, he was enjoying the company of his ladies in that garden When Visakhananda saw this, he desired to have the garden for himself. So he went to his father, king Visakhabhuti He told his father that he must have the garden, or, else, he would court voluntary exile.
Although king Visakhabhuti was never in agreement with this sort of request, what wrong things does a man not indulge in when involved under the pressure of affection to his progeny This had happened in the case of Kaikeyi (in the Rāmāyana) who sent Rama into exile. Being blind with affection for his son, king Visakhabhuti sent his nephew Visvanandi out on a pretext of fighting out the disturbances caused by the chiefs who inhabited in the mountain valleys, and handed over the garden Manohara to his son Visakhananda
When the valorous Visvanandi came to know of the plot, he became immensely angry. As he rushed to catch Visakha