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three hundred males and equal number of females. Immediately after her Diksha, she acquired Vipulmati Manahparyav Jnan
(the ultimate para normal capacity) and started deep meditation. The same afternoon she attained omniscience. In her first
discourse she discussed on the subject of philosophy of equanimity. The six kings took Diksha during this first discourse.
After enhancing the spread of religion for a long period she attained Nirvana on the forth day of the bright half of the month of
Chaitra at Sammetshikhar.
20. BHAGAVAN MUNISUVRAT
The being that was to be Bhagavan Munisuvrat purified its soul during his birth as Surshreshtha, the king of Champa City in
Mahavideh. He than reincarnated in the Pranat dimension of gods.
King Sumitra of the Harivamsh clan ruled over Rajgriha town. His wife, queen Padmavati, gave birth to a son, the being that
had descended from the Pranat
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of Jyeshtha. After the
traditional post-birth rituals the name giving ceremony was celebrated. The king announced that since this being had descended
into the womb of queen Padmavati, she took a variety of good vows and led a life as disciplined as an ascetic. As
such the newborn be named Munisuvrat (vows like ascetics).
In due course Munisuvrat was married and ascended the throne. After a successful and long reign he became an ascetic on
the eighth day of the dark half of the month of Phalgun. He wandered as an ordinary ascetic for eleven months and attained
omniscience under a Champa tree. His first discourse was on the subject of “scriptural and applied philosophy”. After a long
life devoted to spread of true religion he went to Sammetshikhar and got liberated on the ninth day of the dark half of the
month of Jyeshtha.
Bhagavan Munisuvrat’s period was an important period of Jain pre-history. His illustrious contemporaries and followers
included stalwarts like the ninth Chakravarti-Mahapadma, the eighth Prativasudev, Baldev and Vasudev; Ravan, Rama and
Lakshmana respectively. The elder brother of Bhagavan Munisuvrat, ascetic Vishnu Kumar, also became famous for his
pioneering effort, of saving the Jain organization from the oppressions of Minister Namuchi; the Rakshabandhan festival is
celebrated in the memory of that event.
21. BHAGAVAN NAMINATH
The being that was to be Bhagavan Naminath purified his soul during his birth as king Siddharth of Koshambi town in East
Mahavideh. He reincarnated as a god in the Aprajit dimension. This being then descended into the womb of queen Vipra,
wife of kings Vijay of Mithila. As the queen had seen fourteen auspicious things in her dream at the moment of conception,
the augurs informed that the child to be born was going to be a Chakravarti or a Tirthankar.
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During the pregnancy period some very powerful kings attacked once Mithila. Peace loving king Vijay was at a loss to find a
peaceful solution and was worried. An expert augur told the king that the pregnant queen should go to the roof of the palace
and look at the attacking armies. The queen followed the instructions and threw a loving glance at the large armies stationed
on the fields outside the town. The aura of the pious soul in the womb was so powerful that it cast a pacifying spell on the
attackers. The kings, who were sure to win the battle, surrendered and bowed before king Vijay.
This incident inspired the king to name the new born as Naminath. Born on the eighth day of the dark of the month of
Shravan, Naminath had a happy childhood. When he became young he was married and later was given the reign of the
kingdom. After a long and peaceful reign he became an ascetic on the ninth day of the dark half of the month of Ashadh. After
nine months he attained omniscience under a Bakul tree in a garden near Mithila. His first discourse was on the subject of
right-perception. After a long period of religious and spiritual activities he went to Sammetshikhar and got liberated on the
tenth day of the dark half of the month of Vaishakh. The tenth Chakravarti Harishen was his contemporary and the eleventh
Chakravarti Jai came in his religious tradition, though much later.
22. BHAGAVAN ARISHTANEMI
The being that was to be Bhagavan Arishtanemi, in his earlier incarnation, was Shankh, the eldest son of king Shrishen of
Hastinapur. Bandits and smugglers were terrorizing One day some citizens and wayfarers came to the king and informed him
that the highways approaching Hastinapur and the surrounding area. No traveler or villager was safe from the attack of these
bandits. Robbery and murder became a daily routing for them. The citizens requested the king to protect the masses. The
king deputed prince Shankh to go and punish the bandits.
Prince Shankh was an accomplished diplomat and strategist. He planned and conducted his campaign in such a way that he
apprehended the leader of bandits without any bloodshed. While he was on his way back he heart the cry of help of a young
princess abducted by a Vidyadhar (a lower god); prince Shankh challenged the Vidyadhar, defeated him and saved princess
Yashomati. When these young people saw each other they fell in love and got married. In due course prince Shankh
ascended the throne.
Amar Muni - Tirthankar Charitra - Surana # 23
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