Mahavir Puran
CHAPTER – 2
In the middle of the universe there is a Jambu Island, which is surrounded by several seas. And in the middle of the Jambu Island there is a high Mountain Sumeru. On the eastern side there is a Videh Kshetra.
Countless Munis got liberation from the cycle of birth & death. This is why it is called Videh. There is a vast country Pushapkalavati on the north side of Sita river of this Island .There are so many temples of Tirthanakars, which are having very high flags.
The disciples of the Tirthankaras visit here to promote the truthfulness of the religion. Ahimsa (not to harm any living being) is adopted here which is patronised by Arihant Bhagwan. Sages (Munis) follow Ahimsa in letter and spirit.
These sages never pay any attention to the false granths (religious books). There used to live Kshatriya, Vaishya, Shudra in that country. They were fully devoted to the religious activities So many Tirthankaras, their disciples (Gandhars), Chakravartis were born on the sacred earth.
The height of these persons used to be about two thousand feet and their age used to be crores of years. It is called Chaturth Kaal Period. Most of the people remained in meditation and they were very religious minded. There was prosperity in all respect.
There was a Pundrikni Town which was situated in twelve yojan (one yojan = 6500 miles) in length and nine Yojan in width. This city had one thousand big doors. The temples and flags look as if heaven has come to the earth.
There was a vast forest named Madhuban outside the city. It looks to be most attractive. Most of the sages used to come here for meditation. The beauty of the forest was matchless and unpredictable.There used to live a king Pururva of Bhil community (Bhils were uncultured and uneducated and mostly they used to eat meat and drink wine).
The king was religious and prosperous. His wife was Kalika. She was god fearing, helpful and kind hearted. Once Sagar Sen Muni came to that forest, So many Bhils surrounded him. King Pururva took him as deer and thought of killing him.
Kalika told Pururva not to kill the sage (Muni). She further said that he seems to be an angel of the forest who takes care of the well being of human beings. On hearing this, king of Bhil dropped the idea of killing him. He went to the muni and bowed in the feet of the muni.
Muni advised him that all worldly possessions, status of Chakravarti, and Saudharm could be achieved through firm belief in religion. He advised Bhil to give up eating meat and drinking of wine. Bhil acted upon his advice and gave up eating of meat and drinking of wine.
He started keeping fast and adopted Bara Bhavna and Das Lakshan Dharm. King of Bhil paid his regards to the Muni and accompanied him to different places and thereafter came back to his house. He adopted these principles throughout his life.
After his death he was born as deity in divine. He was having his age of one Sagar. He became young in no time. He recollected all the happenings of his prebirth by his avdhijnana. He was having deep faith in Jain religion. He used to go to temples and perform puja of the Bhagwan.
After doing his puja of Thirthanakars he used to go to Nandishwardweep and performed the puja of Kevaljnanis, Gandhars and their disciples. He used to hear the preachings of Gandhars who were disciples of Tirthankaras. He always remained busy in religious activities.
He was having mati jnana, shrut jnana and avdhi jnana. He was enjoying a very happy and prosperous life.There is a country named Kaushal in Bharat region in the middle of the Asian continent. Most of the religious persons get salvation from this place.
Some are born Saudharm Inder in sixteenth heaven. The people of this area give charity to the needy persons and they get realm of enjoyment in Bhog Bhumi. In Bhog bhumi one gets every thing simply on wishing it. Munis generally travel in this area.
There is a big town named Ayodhya in this region. Huge temples are built in this area. The people in this area are religious, kind hearted and pious. It flourishes with natural greenery, plantations and flowers. The beauty of this area is remarkable and worth seeing.
Ayodhya town was established by the deity for taking birth of Adinath Bhagwan. The temples of gold and jewels were built up there. The palaces in this area had very high walls and high and strong doors, so that any enemy might not pass through this area. The beauty of this city was remarkable.
The city dwellers were rich and very religious. They were enjoying their life as if deitis and she-dietis enjoy the life in heaven. Ayodhya town was ruled by Bharat Chakravarti, the son of the Bhagwan Adinath. King Akampan Nami, Vidhiadhars, deity Magadh and celestials used to worship the feet of Bharat Chakravarti.
He was the ruler of six large I continents and he was having a marvellous body. His chief queen was Dharni, who was previously Pururva Bhil and went to the heaven. He was born to Dharni and he was named as Marichi.
When he grew up, he was the master of all the exceptional qualities. He studied Granths. He was a rich man. Once Rishabhdev was enjoying the dance of Nilanjana. She died instanatly and Inder produced another dancer of the same structure and in same dress.
On seeing the death of Nilanjana Rishabh Dev decided to give up the worldly belongings. He rode on a litter which was carried by the Lokantic dev and reached into the forest. He gave up all the belongings and became a muni.
Four thousand kings also became muni along with him. Rishabhdev gave up his attatchment of the body and started meditation for six months. Marichi and other kings could not tolerate the hunger and thirst for a long time.
They found themselves unable to pull on in meditation like Rishabhdev. They thought that they would die in case they won’t get food. They didn’t have as much resistance power as Rishabhdev was having. They were afraid of Bharat Chakravarti in case they return back to the city.
From their unwholesome karmas (pap karmas) they started eating food. Marichi also followed them. The forest god informed them that if they would adopt these unfortunate practices in the guise of Muni, they would go to hell.
He further advised them that they should change their appearance of Muni otherwise he would punish them. These Munis were frightened by the threat of the god of forest. They wore jute and kept long hairs. From their unfortunate karmas, Marichi also changed the Muni’s appearance and worn jute and kept long hairs. He published non Jain granths.
Rishabhdev adopted silence and remained in jungle for about one thousand years. He won over his karmas from his meditation and got Keval jnana. The god constructed a huge Samosaran of jewels and gems which was spread over in several miles so that all the living beings of the world can sit therein.
There were twelve portitions of this Samosaran. The gods and goddesses who came from the heaven, they worshipped Rishabhdev with eight commodities. (Ashat dravya). Marichi heard the preachings of Rishabhdev.
He determined that as Rishabh Bhagwan gave up the worldly possession and the world was astonished to see his achievements of becoming a Tirthanakar, he would also follow the same path. He thought that God helps those who help themselves.
Hence my determination will bring fruit positively. But he did not give up his pride. Having kamandal (it is a wooden pot in which water is kept) and pichhi in his hand, he used to travel here and there. He used to take bath in cold water and eat fruits.
Outwordly he gave up the worldly possesions and became prominent but practically he did not adopt the right path. Hence after his death he became the deity in fifth heaven. Though he adopted false path of religion, but he was engaged in meditation. He enjoyed his life in the heaven.
There used to live Kapil Brahamin in Ayodhya town and his wife was Kali. Marichi was born to Kali and was named Jatil. When he grew up from his inborn power, he did not give up the false path. He became ascetic.
To see his outworldly meditation people used to worship him. After his death he again became deity in the first heaven. He remained there for two sagars and he enjoyed there some prosperities. After his death, he was reborn in heaven to a Brahaman named Bhardwaj and his wife Pusplata in Ayodhya town.
He was named as Puspmiter. After growing up due to his in-born power, he studied the false granths and adopted the false religion. He again possessed out look of false deities. He used to give preachings to the human beings on false religion.
He again died and reborn in “Sodharm Heaven”. He remained there for one sagar (Sagar is equal to countless years). There lived a Brahaman named Agnibhuti in Swatik town in Bharat region. His wife was Gautmi. Above mentioned deity was born to Gautmi as Agniseha.
From his in-born power he acquired deep knowledge. He again became sage. After completing his age he died and was reborn as Sanat Kumar in the third heaven. There he enjoyed the age of seven sagars. There was a town named Mandir in Bharat region.
Again Sanat Kumar was reborn as Agnibhuti from Gautmi. From his inborn power he acquired knowledge of false granths. He became sage. After completing his age he was reborn as Mahander in the fifth heaven and enjoyed his life.
In the above mentioned Mandir town, there lived a Sankalian Brahaman . His wife was Mandira. The above diety was reborn to Mandira and he was named as Bhardwaj. He again studied false granths. After sometime he became ascetic. Then he became a sage.
After his death he was reborn in the fifth heaven. As he adopted false religion, after completing his age he was reborn in Narak (hell) and in Trianchgati several times. Thus the Marichi had to face problems and misfortunes due to adopting his false religion. Hence one should adopt right religion.
