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
freedom from fear. There was a superb tranquility on the face of the lion. The monks also perceived the change on the face of the lion They realised that the lion had acquired what was due to him He bowed low at the feet of the monks and remained like that for some time Then he stood erect, moved round the monks three times and humbly bowed at their feet. When the monks realised that the acquisitiveness of the lion had expanded, they tendered him advice about the vows
The lion nodded his agreement to fulfil them according to ability Now he was no longer a cruel lion, but a lion wholly harmless, like a lion in a picture.
The lion continued to fulfil the vow till his last moment. Then he courted death while he was in a trance and was born as a god named Singhaketu in the first heaven named Saudharma.
It is rare to come across an example like this where there has been the fullest use of the species along with a favourable situation at the time of the end of the life-span. It may appear that on the sermons of the exceptionally gifted Carana monks, the lion had reached the height of the ability of his species but it was some what unusual that when the lion had very limited time on this world, he had no obstruction of unfavourable karma and he could easily turn his gaze inward. Had sermon been enough in the realization of the soul, well, then, many who used to attend the congregations of Bhagavan Mahavira should have been the recipient of self-realisation But this did not just happen Had it been so, how is it that Marici became the victim of a false faith even though he was present at the congregations of Risabhadeva. Surprisingly enough he became the leader of the heretics and continued to propagate falsehood. So it is established that when the soil is ready, you may reap the harvest. At that time, instruments are not lacking, nor is it necessary to institute a search for them In the life of a cruel lion living in a dense forest, where was the chance, where was the possibility for such a metamorphosis; but when even as a lion he was in possession of the necessary maturity, to realise the self, the instrumentality came down through the sky