NANDISEN MUNI नन्दिसेन मुनि JAIN RELIGION

||NANDISEN MUNI||

||नन्दिसेन मुनि ||

|| नन्दिसेन मुनि  जैन धर्म कहानी ||

||JAIN RELIGION ||

Sage Nandisen helping and serving the old monk

Sage Nandisen was a great ascetic and well versed in the scriptures. He took a vow to serve other monks with utmost devotion. His devotion in serving the monks was popular even in the heavenly abode. One day, Indra commended his services during an assembly of demigods. One of the demigods was surprised at such high praise for a mere mortal. Therefore, he decided to see the worthiness of sage Nandisen.
The demigod arrived at the outskirts of the village and assumed the form of two monks, one very old and injured and the other young and healthy. Sage Nandisen had just returned from collecting Gochari (alms) and was about to break his fast when the young monk came to him and said, “Oh blessed one! There is a very old monk suffering from diarrhea, extreme thirst, and hunger. He is weak and needs your help.”
Hearing these words, sage Nandisen immediately got up, took clean water, and went to the old monk. Seeing Nandisen, the old monk raged, “Oh, you wretch! I am lying here suffering and you did not even care to see if anyone needs help.”
Sage Nandisen was not offended by these words due to his virtues of tolerance, forgiveness, and compassion. He calmly replied, “Oh, the best of monks, kindly excuse my oversight. I have brought clean water for you to drink.”
He helped the old monk drink the water, and then cleaned his clothes, his body, and helped him sit up. The old monk again became irritated. He frowned, “Oh, you fool! do you not see that I am too weak to sit? What are you doing to me?”
Sage Nandisen replied politely, “I will help you.” After helping the old monk to sit up, he said, “Oh revered monk, if you desire, I shall carry you to the upäshray (a place where monks stay temporarily) where you will be more comfortable.”
The monk replied, “Why are you asking me? You may do so if you wish.”
Sage Nandisen therefore seated the monk on his shoulders and slowly proceeded towards the upäshray. He walked slowly, watching every step carefully. The demigod was determined to test him, so he gradually increased the old monk’s weight. With the increased weight on his shoulder, sage Nandisen began to tremble and he almost fell. The old monk said, “Oh, you wretch! what is wrong with you? Don’t you know how to walk? You are shaking my entire body. Is this the way to serve the sick?”
In spite of these harsh words, sage Nandisen was not disturbed at all. He said, “Pardon me. I shall be more careful.”

Heavenly beings praising the act of Sage

Ignoring the monk’s comments, he continued walking, and took care not to offend the monk any more as a result of his actions. On the way, he thought of ways to cure the monk. During all this, the old monk was watching Sage Nandisen and did not see any change in the helping nature of the sage even after all the aggravation. When they arrived at the upäshray, the old monk turned back into an angel and bowed down at once to sage Nandisen, saying,“You are blessed. Oh sage, you are the illustration of a real monk. You deserve all the praise given by Indra. I am very pleased with you and will grant you whatever you wish.”
“Oh heavenly angel, this human life is very precious. Nothing is more valuable than human existence. I am content. I crave for nothing,” said sage Nandisen. The heavenly angel bowed his head at the feet of the sage and returned to his abode, applauding the merits of the sage.

This story teaches us the importance of tolerance, discipline, and contentment which are all fundamental values of Jainism. First and foremost, sage Nandisen chose to devote his life to serving monks, an admirable goal requiring the utmost level of dedication and discipline. He demonstrated his tolerance and willingness to serve others without knowing that the demigod was testing him. This means that he was truly dedicated to monks and believed in what he was doing. He also indicated his contentment with the human life when asked for a wish. This contentment is symbolic of the principle of non-possessiveness.

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JAINAM JAYATI SHASHNAM

MEGHARATH RAJA राजा मेघरथ JAINISM AHIMSA

||MEGHRATH RAJA||

||राजा मेघरथ||

|| राजा मेघरथ जैन धर्म कहानी ||

||JAIN RELIGION ||

King Megharath offering his own life 

to save a bird’s life

One day, during an assembly of demigods, Indra, the King of heavenly gods, praised the bravery and mercifulness of King Megharath on Earth. He mentioned that King Megharath would not hesitate to give up his own life to protect those who came to him for shelter. Two demigods doubted Indra’s statement, so Indra asked them to go to Earth and see for themselves. Since they could not appear on Earth in their heavenly forms, one of them decided to take the form of a pigeon, and the other took the form of a hawk. The demigods, due to their miraculous power, can assume any form they desire and can reach anywhere in a split second.

Down on Earth, King Megharath was sitting in his court surrounded by his courtiers. Suddenly, a pigeon flew in through an open window and started circling the hall. To the King’s surprise, it landed on his lap. It was shaking uncontrollably. The King realized that the pigeon was shaking with fear and had flown into the palace to seek refuge.

At that very instant, a hawk flew into the King’s court. He said to the King, “This pigeon is my food. Let me have him.” The King was dumbfounded to hear a bird talk, however, he replied, “It is true that this pigeon is your food, but now it is under my shelter. I will not give you this pigeon, but I can give you some other food.” He ordered his servants to bring a basket of fruits and vegetables. However, the hawk said, “I am not a human being, and I am not a vegetarian. I need meat for my food.”
The King said, “Let me give you my own flesh instead of this pigeon’s flesh.” Upon hearing this, one of the courtiers said, “Your Majesty, why should you give your own flesh? Let’s get the meat from a butcher.” The King replied, “No, because the butcher will have to kill another animal in order to supply us the meat. This pigeon has sought refuge and it is my duty to protect it. At the same time, it is also my duty to see that no one else is harmed in the process. Therefore, I will give my own flesh to the hawk.”
With these words, he took out his knife and cut off a piece of flesh from his thigh and offered that to the hawk. The whole court was stunned, however, the hawk said to the King, “Oh King, I want the same amount of flesh as the pigeon.”
A weighing scale was brought to the court. The King put the pigeon on one side and a piece of his own flesh on the other. The King kept adding more and more of his flesh on the scale, but it was not enough. Finally, the King got ready to put his whole body on the scale. The court was stunned that the King was giving up his own life for an insignificant bird. Nevertheless, the King considered his duty to protect the bird to be above everything else. He sat in the scale on the side opposite the pigeon, closed his eyes, and began meditating.
As soon as the King began meditating, the pigeon and the hawk assumed their original divine forms. Both demigods bowed to the King and said, “Oh great King! You are blessed. You deserve all the praise given by Lord Indra. We are convinced that you are a brave and merciful King.”
With these words, they praised and saluted the King again and left. The whole court resounded with cheers of joy, “Long live King Megharath”. Later on, the soul of King Megharath became the sixteenth Tirthankar, Lord Shantinath.

This story teaches us that it is the chief duty of everyone to protect and help those who are less fortunate. A merciful person is someone who is not only influenced by seeing the misery and suffering of others, but goes a step further and attempts to alleviate the pain. He gives financial aid to those who are poor and gives food to those who are hungry and needy. A merciful person would not harm others to save his/her own life, but on the contrary, would sacrifice his/her own life to save the lives of the others.

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JAINAM JAYATI SHASHNAM

CHANDKAUSHIK AUR MAHAVIR चंडकौशिक और महावीर

||CHANDKAUSHIK AUR MAHAVIR||

||चंडकौशिक और महावीर  ||

|| महावीर और चंडकौशिक जैन धर्म कहानी ||

||JAIN RELIGION ||

CHANDKAUSHIK AUR MAHAVIR
चंडकौशिक और महावीर 

This is a story about Bhagawan Mahavir when he was a monk. He used to fast, meditate, and perform penance. He traveled barefoot from place to place and village to village. Bhagawan Mahavir once decided to go to the village of Vachala. On his way, he would have to go through a forest where a poisonous snake named Chandkaushik lived. It was said that Chandkaushik could kill a person or animal just by casting an evil and angry glance at them. All the people of the villages near that forest lived in absolute fear.
When the villagers learned about Mahavir’s intention to pass through the forest, they begged him to take another longer route. However, Mahavir had no fear. He practiced supreme non-violence. He had no hatred towards anyone and considered fear and hatred as violence to oneself. He was at peace with himself and all other living beings. There was a glow of serenity and compassion on his face. He convinced the people that everything would be all right and he proceeded to the forest where Chandkaushik lived. After a while, he noticed the beautiful green grass fading. The forest looked like a desert. Trees and plants were dead so he thought that this must be near the area where Chandkaushik lived. Mahavir stopped there to meditate. Peace, tranquility, and compassion for the well-being of each and every living being flowed from Mahavir’s heart.

Chandkaushik sensed that someone had come near his land and so he came out of his burrow. To his surprise, he saw a man standing there. He became furious, thinking, “How dare he come this close to my land?” Chandkaushik started hissing to threaten Lord Mahavir. He did not understand Lord Mahavir’s tranquility. He became angry, came closer to the Lord and swayed his head, ready to strike. He saw no sign that this man would be threatened or would run away. This made Chandkaushik even angrier and he blew poisonous venom towards Lord Mahavir three times. The venom neither affected Lord Mahavir nor disturbed his meditation. So Chandkaushik became even more irritated and bit Lord Mahavir’s toe. When he looked at the man again, he was surprised to see that not only had nothing happened to him, but instead of blood, milk flowed from his toe.

Bhagawan Mahavir opened his eyes. He was calm and there was no fear or anger on his face. He looked at Chandkaushik and said, “Calm down, calm down, Chandkaushik. Realize what you are doing.” There was love and affection in those words. Chandkaushik calmed down and felt as if he had seen this kind of monk before. He suddenly remembered his two previous lives. Chandkaushik then realized the truth of life and what anger and ego from his last two lives had done to him. He bowed his head respectfully to the Lord.
Chandkaushik peacefully retreated to his hole with his head inside while a portion of his body remained outside the hole. After a while when the people came to know that Chandkaushik was no longer harmful to anyone, they came to see him out of curiosity. They saw him lying quietly. Some started worshipping him by offering milk and food, while some were still furious because he had killed their loved ones. They threw stones and beat him with wooden sticks. Blood, milk, and food attracted ants. Chandkaushik willingly suffered the biting and beating and remained at peace with no trace of anger. He died a few days later. The self-restraint and control of his feelings destroyed many of his bad karmas. Therefore, at the end of his life he was born in heaven.

Fear, hatred, and ego are violence to one’s self and not to anyone else. Chandkaushik depicts this from the anger and ego he had committed during his past lives. Self-realization through the help of Bhagawan Mahavir made him realize his mistake and led him to repent for his deeds. This ultimately washed away his bad karmas and led him to heaven. From this story we should learn to remain calm and avoid anger, ego, and all forms of violence. We should be fearless of evil and approach them with tranquility.

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JAINAM JAYATI SHASHNAM

महावीर और गोशालक Mahavir and Cow herd JAINISM

||Mahavir and Cow herd||

||महावीर और गोशालक ||

|| महावीर और गोशालक जैन धर्म कहानी ||

||JAIN RELIGION ||

Indra preventing an ignorant cowherd
from assaulting Bhagawan Mahavir

One day as Mahavir swami was going from one place to another, he stopped near a big tree to meditate. While he was meditating, a cowherd came with his cows. He needed someone to look after his cows so he could go for some errands. He asked Mahavir swami if he would look after his cows for a few hours. Mahavir swami was in deep meditation and did not respond to the cowherd. However, the cowherd went away thinking that Mahavir swami had heard him and would look after his cows.

In the meantime, the cows started wandering away looking for grass. A few hours later, the cowherd returned and found all his cows were missing. He asked Mahavir swami, “Where are my cows? What did you do with them?” Mahavir swami was still in meditation and did not reply. The herder started wondering where the cows could have gone. Since Mahavir swami did not reply, the cowherd searched for them everywhere but could not find them. While he was looking for the cows, the cows returned to the place where Mahavir swami was meditating.

When the cowherd came back, to his amazement all his cows were standing near Mahavir swami. Mahavir swami was still meditating. The cowherd became very angry at Mahavir swami because he thought that Mahavir swami had been hiding his cows. Therefore, he took out his rope and was about to whip Mahavir swami with it. Just then, an angel from heaven came down and held his hand.

“Can you not see that Mahavir swami is in deep meditation?” the angel asked.

“But he tricked me!” said the cowherd. The angel replied, “He is in meditation and did not hear you. He was prince Vardhaman before becoming a monk. He did not do anything to your cows. You would have acquired bad karmas for hurting him.”

The cowherd realized that he had made a mistake. He apologized to Mahavir swami and went away silently

Bhagawan Mahavir declining Indra’s protection

Then, the angel bowed down to Mahavir swami and requested, “Oh Lord, I would like to be at your service as you will have to undergo many hardships during your spiritual journey.” Mahavir swami answered, “One cannot progress spiritually and attain Keval-jnan using others help and support. To attain Keval-jnan and become an Arihanta one has to undertake all the efforts personally on the journey towards omniscience and liberation.”

The angel went back to heaven feeling happy that he could stop Mahavir swami’s suffering. Mahavir did not have any bad feelings towards the cowherd because he held no anger towards anyone.

We should not make hasty decisions because we could be wrong. One should think from all perspectives before acting. Secondly, we should not hurt anyone for any reason, but should forgive instead of displaying anger. This is the way we can stop the inflow of bad Karmas to our souls.

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JAINAM JAYATI SHASHNAM

HEMCHANDRA ACHARYA IN JAINISM हेमचंद्र आचार्य JAIN ACHARYA IN JAINISM

||HEMCHANDRA ACHARYA||

||आचार्य हेमचंद्र JAIN DHARM||

|| हेमचंद्राचार्य जैन धर्म कहानी HEM CHANDRA SURI||

||JAIN RELIGION हेमचंद्र आचार्य  ||

Acharya Hemchandra was born in 1088 A.D. in the Modha Vanik (merchant) caste in the town of Dhandhuka, sixty miles from the city of Amdavad in the state of Gujarat. His parents were Chachdev and Pahini. While Pahini was pregnant, she had a beautiful dream. She narrated her dream to Jain acharya Devasuri who was in Dhandhuka at that time. The acharya predicted that Pahini would give birth to a son who would make great progress in the areas of spiritual knowledge, conduct, and logic. When her son was born, she named him Changdev.

Various incidences from Acharya Hemchandra and King Kumarpal’s life

The next time acharya Devasuri was in Dhandhuka, he saw Pahini carrying her son. He said to Pahini, “Let me take care of this brilliant son. He has the potential of being a great spiritual leader.” Pahini initially refused to relinquish her son to him, but the acharya persisted and reminded her that her son would become a famous monk and would glorify the Jain order. He requested that she sacrifice self-interest and love for the child for the good of the people at large. Finally, Pahini surrendered and gave her son to the acharya. He initiated Changdev into Jain monkhood and renamed him Somchandra.

Somchandra was very intelligent and quickly mastered various philosophies, logic, scriptures, nyaya, grammar, and more. Simultaneously, he cultivated excellent virtues like forbearance, tolerance, holiness, simplicity, discipline, chastity, and generosity. Somchandra was incomparable in administration and efficiency, and acharya Devasuri made Somchandra an acharya when he was only twenty-one years old, changing his name to acharya Hemchandra.

The fame of Hemchandra’s knowledge gradually spread everywhere. Due to the efforts of Hemchandra and the cooperation of King Siddharaj of Gujarat, a higher and nobler form of culture was established in the region. When King Siddharaj died, Kumarpal succeeded him. King Kumarpal and acharya Hemchandra were to enjoy a lifelong relationship of disciple and teacher. The seeds of this spiritual relation had already been sown earlier; acharya Hemchandra had predicted seven years back that Kumarpal would become King. Additionally, he had once saved the future King’s life. Kumarpal therefore considered Hemchandra his spiritual teacher (guru) and benefactor and gave him exceptional honor. Kumarpal sought Hemchandra’s advice in shaping his kingdom, and in a very short time Gujarat became a center of non-violence, learning, and good culture.

In his efforts, Hemchandra did not think of the development of his own career but always of the welfare of all citizens. However, some Brahmins were very jealous of acharya Hemchandra’s influence over the King and tried to disgrace him and Jainism. They approached King Kumarpal and said, “acharya Hemchandra is a very egotistic person and has no respect for Hindu gods.” King Kumarpal was not ready to accept these accusations against his spiritual guru, so to prove their point, the Brahmins requested that King Kumarpal invite the acharya to the temple of Lord Shiva. They sought to humiliate the acharya in front of the King, since they believed that he would not go to the temple and bow down to Lord Shiva. When acharya Hemchandra appeared, King Kumarpal said, “We will go to the temple of Lord Shiva.” He accepted the offer without any hesitation. The Brahmins, barely able to conceal their joy, were delighted that their plan was working. To the surprise of the Brahmins, acharya Hemchandra bowed down in front of Lord Shiva and said,

“Bhavbijankura janana Ragadyaha Kshaymupagata Yasya;

Brahma Va Vishnurva Haro Jino Va Namastasmai.”

“I am bowing down to that God who has destroyed passions like attachment (Raga) and aversions (Dvesha) which are the cause of worldly life whether he is Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, or Jin”

By this modest act, acharya Hemchandra proved his noble attitude with his willingness to respect other faiths and pray to the virtues of other deities. This generous attitude is inherent in Jain philosophy. Jainism does not hold itself as superior to other religions, but as peacefully coexisting with them. Under acharya Hemchandra’s influence, King Kumarpal accepted Jainism as his religion. He prohibited violence and the killing of any animals in his kingdom, and instituted many laws that nurtured Jain religion. Vegetarianism was soon a trait not only of Jains but of all the people of Gujarat.

Acharya Hemchandra composed several literary works consisting of many verses. He was the first to put non-violence on a political platform and was the architect of the greatness and unification of Gujarat. In the field of metaphysics, he was a Yogi. His work, Yoga-shastra, a treatise on yoga, is very famous. People called him “Kali-kal Sarvajna” meaning “all knower in the present era of darkness”. He died in 1173 A.D. at the age of eighty-four. Jain culture still shines bright in Gujarat due to the influence of the literary works contributed by the great acharya Hemchandra.

Mother Pahini’s sacrifice of her love for her son is very praiseworthy, demonstrating willingness to serve the community over her self-interest or attachment for her son. Because of acharya Hemchandra’s influence as a teacher, King Kumarpal accepted Jainism and became a Jain. It is because of this that Jainism and vegetarianism flourish in Gujarat. acharya Hemchandra’s contribution of numerous literary masterpieces is a treasure for us. By studying these books, we can pay tribute to him.

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JAINAM JAYATI SHASHNAM

HARIBHADRA SURIJI हरिभद्र सूरिजी JAIN ACHARYA IN JAINISM

||HARIBHADRA SURIJI||

||हरिभद्र सूरिजी JAIN DHARM||

|| जैन धर्म कहानी HARIBHADRA SURI||

||JAIN RELIGION हरिभद्र सूरिजी ||

During the sixth century A.D., there lived a learned Brahmin named Haribhadra. He was highly intelligent and proficient in the philosophies of all religions. Among his many talents, he had the ability to determine the point of his opponent’s argument almost immediately. During that time, it was common for scholars to travel and engage others in debate to  increase their wealth of knowledge. Therefore, Haribhadra traveled and debated many brilliant scholars. Other scholars were unable to win discussions with him. His talent allowed him to dominate all conversations. It was not long before he earned a formidable reputation, and scholars began avoiding entering into a discussion with him.

When no one came forward to counter him, he concluded that he had no rival in the entire country. Confident in his ability to comprehend any subject being discussed, he issued a public challenge that if anyone could present a topic that he could not understand, he would readily become his/her pupil.

One day, as he was walking through the village, he came across a royal elephant so angry that it was completely out of control. His keeper was trying his best to bring him under control, but the elephant was not responding to his efforts. The elephant was running directly towards Haribhadra. In grave danger of being trampled, Haribhadra frantically looked around for a safe place and saw a Jain temple. He entered just in time to avoid being crushed by the charging elephant. Once inside, he paused to regain his breath and then looked around the temple with disrespect. Haribhadra had no regard for Jainism. Because of his prejudice, he remained ignorant of Jain philosophy. Brahmins were usually staunch Shaiväites (followers of Lord Shiva in Hinduism) and looked down upon those going to Jain temples.
As he looked around, he saw the white marble idol of Lord Mahävir facing him. Instead of seeing the graceful compassion flowing from the eyes of the Tirthankar’s idol, Haribhadra only noticed that the stomach of the idol did not epitomize the slim body of an austere saint. He surmised that Jain Tirthankars must have enjoyed sweet foods. He therefore made the following remark:

Haribhadra Suri listening to Yakini Mahattara’s explaining Jain philosophy

“Vapurevatavachashte Spashtam Mishtann-Bhojitamit”

“Your stomach clearly indicates that you must enjoy eating sweet foods”

When the elephant left the area, Haribhadra stepped outside the temple. On his way back, he passed the Upashray of Jain nuns (Sadhvis). He heard the following verse that was recited by a Sadhvi named Yakini Mahattara:

Chakkidugam Haripanagam Panagam Chakki Ya Kesavo Chakki

Kesav Chakki Kesav Du Chakki Kesi Ya Chakki Ya

Mahattara was explaining the order in which the Chakravartis (sovereign emperors) and Vasudevs were born in the current Avasarpini time cycle. Jain philosophy believes in time cycles of very long durations occurring one after another. One half of a cycle is called Utsarpini, or the ascending order marked with continuing improvements, and the other half is called Avasarpini, or the descending order marked with continuing deterioration. Tradition also holds that 24 Tirthankars, 12 Chakravartis (sovereign emperors), 9 Vasudevs or Narayans, 9 Prativasudev or Prati-Narayans (enemies of Vasudevs) and 9 Balrams are born in every Utsarpini and in every Avasarpini time cycle.
As a student, Haribhadra had studied some Jain philosophy. However, his understanding was very shallow and he could not comprehend the meaning of what sadhvi Mahattara was reciting. Haribhadra was at a loss. Finally, he had stumbled upon a subject he did not dominate, but to seek more knowledge required him to become a pupil of the Jain sadhvi Mahattara. Despite his arrogance, Haribhadra was also a man of his word, and without further hesitation, he presented himself to the Jain nun Mahattara. He explained his pledge and requested that she accept him as a pupil. Mahattara explained that Jain nuns could not have males as pupils. She advised Haribhadra to go to her guru, Jinabhatta-suri, who could explain the meaning of the verse and he could become a pupil of her guru. Accordingly, Haribhadra went to acharya Jinabhatta-suri, who explained the verse in the proper perspective.

Haribhadra suri accepting monkhood under Acharya Jin bhatta

The acharya’s explanation of the verse induced Haribhadra to learn more about Jainism, and he requested the acharya to accept him as a pupil. Jinabhatta-suri agreed to accept him only if he obtained the consent of his family and other close relatives. Haribhadra knew that it would be an ordeal to get their consent to study Jainism. Indeed, his family immediately opposed his decision. His father challenged him, “But you have studied so much to become a Brahmin scholar. Why would you want to give that up now?” His relatives, who had been so proud of his reputation, cried, “But you are the best debater. Who will you be now?” However, Haribhadra persevered in the face of this resistance. He explained to them that his knowledge would remain incomplete without gaining knowledge of Jainism in detail. For that purpose, as well as for adhering to his word, it was necessary for him to become a Jain monk. He ultimately succeeded in gaining the consent of all his family members. Then he renounced his worldly life and became a disciple of acharya Jinabhatta-suri.

He diligently studied Jain scriptures and other sacred books. His intelligence and perception soon allowed him to achieve mastery of Jain scriptures. The study of the agams showed him the depth of Jain philosophy in seeking the truth. Once he mastered all the relevant Jain literature, and when his guru Jinabhatta-suri was thoroughly convinced about his true faith, his guru decided to bestow upon Haribhadra the title of acharya. As Acharya Haribhadra-suri, he managed the Jain order very capably and efficiently. By virtue of his knowledge and intelligence, he attracted many people to Jainism. Many of them also renounced worldly life and became his disciples. Under his stewardship, Jainism gained a newfound popularity.

Amongst his many pupils there were two pupils named Hans and Paramhans who were his sister’s sons. They were very intelligent, and Haribhadra-suri had high expectations of them. Once, Hans and Paramhans requested him to allow them to go to a well-known Buddhist monastery in order to study the weak points of Buddhism. Then, they could defeat the Buddhist monks in debate. Initially, Haribhadra-suri did not approve, but Hans and Paramhans persisted and ultimately secured his permission. They went to the monastery disguised as Buddhist monks. Unfortunately, their secret was quickly revealed. They decided to leave the monastery in disguise, but Buddhist people chased them, which ultimately resulted in the loss of their lives.

When Haribhadra-suri learned about the tragic fate of his nephews, he was furious and vowed to punish the Buddhist monks for their cruelty. He challenged them to a debate in the royal court, with the stipulation that whoever lost would be put to death. Haribhadra-suri’s violent reaction to his nephews’ deaths saddened Guru Jinabhatta-suri and Sädhvi Mahattarä. Haribhadra-suri won the debate. Luckily, sädhvi Mahattarä convinced him to abandon the idea of killing his opponent. Haribhadra-suri realized from this episode that his undue attachment for Hans and Paramhans had led him to indulge in a violent attitude. He therefore begged for atonement, and Guru Jinabhatta-suri advised him to compose verses that would enlighten people to the right faith. This became another major turning point in his life.

Haribhadra-suri was a prolific writer. He wrote 1444 religious books, covering many aspects of Jainism. Unfortunately, only about 170 of his books are presently available. The commentaries on Dash Vaikälika-sutra, Tattvärtha-sutra, Pancha-sutra, and Ävashyaka-sutra are among his well-known compositions. Moreover, he wrote Lalit-vistarä, Dharma Sangrahani, Upadeshapad, Shodashtaks, Dharmabindu, and Anekänta Jayapatäkä. He was probably the first Jain scholar to write on yoga in the compositions. Yogabindu, Yoga-vinshikä, Yoga-shatak and Yogadrashti Samuchchaya were among these compositions. With such an output, Haribhadra-suri will always be remembered for his valuable contribution to Jain literature.

The entire life of Haribhadra-suri depicts his keen desire for learning. Even though he was an established Brahmin scholar, he was humble enough to learn from a simple Jain Sadhvi. This is a great lesson in humility. One should not let pride come in the way of acquiring knowledge. Jain agams describe the essence of Jainism in a logical and convincing manner. A deep understanding of the agams will lead one to practice the principles of Jainism with more discipline and faith. The various compositions of Haribhadra-suri are very precious and help us gain a better understanding of this complex but well-defined and logical religion.

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JAINAM JAYATI SHASHNAM

KUNDAKUNDA ACHARYA कुन्दकुन्द आचार्य

||ACHARYA KUNDA KUNDA ||

|| स्थूलिभद्र JAIN DHARM|| 

|| जैन धर्म कहानी KUNDAKUNDA ACHARYA ||

||JAIN RELIGION  कुन्दकुन्द आचार्य||

Acharya Kunda-kunda is one of the most famous Jain acharyas.
As a descendant of Bhadrabahu-swami, he was born around the beginning of the first century A.D. in a place named Konda-konda in southern India. Kunda-kunda belonged to an ancient order called the Nandi Sangh, wherein most monks assumed names ending in “Nandi”. His official name after becoming a Jain monk was Padma-nandi, but he is better known by the place of his origin. Punya-Shravak Katha Kosha mentions that in his previous life, Kunda-kunda was a cowherd who had found and preserved ancient texts and had been blessed by a wandering monk.
acharya Kunda-kunda’s intense learning and moral character attracted royal disciples such as King Shiva kumar. The story of Kunda-kunda is also surrounded by legends – it is said that he could walk on air. But his influence extends far beyond Jainism. In ancient India, philosophical debates were a standard feature of intellectual life. To these, Kunda-kunda brought concise and systematized aphorisms, greatly adding to Jain literature. He used existing literary structures to explain Jainism’s most advanced scientific principles such as atomic structure, cosmic dimensions, the cosmic ethers, and psychology. Hindu and Buddhist thinkers were challenged to respond to his explications of Jain philosophy and conduct. Thus, Kunda-kunda elevated the level of scholarship and debate in India’s overall philosophical discourse.
A great organizer of the highly complex concepts of Jain philosophy, Kunda-kunda wrote five renowned books:

• Samayasar (Treatise on the True Self)
• Pravachanasar (Treatise of Preaching)
• Niyamasar (Treatise on Rules of Conduct)
• Panchastikaya (Treatise on Five Universal Substances)
• Ashta-pahuda (Eight Steps), a collection of eight texts

All of his works are written in an ancient dialect known as Saurseni Prakrit, similar to Ardha-Magadhi Prakrit. The organizing of Jain ideas into certain relationships and structures, taken for granted in recent centuries, was a product of his thought. So extraordinary was this idea that many other books written in this style by his pupils and other Jain scholars are popularly ascribed to him. In the Digambar tradition, he is praised immediately after Lord Mahavir and the preceptor Gautam swami in the auspicious blessing (Mangalacharan) prayer. Some Jains of the Digambar tradition dub their tradition Kunda-kunda Anvaya (the order of Kunda-kunda). However, scholars of all sects study his books with deep veneration.
acharya Kunda-kunda has been called “Light of this Dark Age”. Several commentaries on his Samayasar have been written in Sanskrit and in modern languages. In recent centuries, the Samayasar has greatly moved leaders and scholars like Banarasi Das, Taran swami, Shrimad Rajchandra and Gurudev Shri Kanji Swami. Today, in the southern state of Tamilnadu in India, on a large stone under a certain Champa tree on the hill Ponnur Malai, pilgrims may stumble upon an engraved pair of footprints (Charan). These footprints are symbolic of a thinker who, nearly two thousand years ago, composed some of Jainism’s most influential philosophical books.

Kunda-kundacharya elevated the level of scholarship and debate in India’s overall philosophical discourse. Kunda-kundächärya has been called “Light of this Dark Age”. Some of his well-known works are Samayasär, Panchästikäya, Pravachanasär and Niyamasär have greatly moved leaders and scholars like Shrimad Räjchandra and Gurudev Shri Kanji Swämi.

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JAINAM JAYATI SHASHNAM

STULIBHADRA SWAMI स्थूलिभद्र स्वामी JAIN DHARM

||STULIBHADRA SWAMI ||

|| स्थूलिभद्र JAIN DHARM|| 

|| जैन धर्म कहानी STHULIBHADRA SWAMI ||

||JAIN RELIGION  स्थूलिभद्र||

The kingdom of Magadha, in the state of Bihar, possessed a long and rich history. During Mahavir’s time, it was ruled by King Shrenik of the Shishunag dynasty. This dynasty ended with the death of Shrenik’s great-grandson Udayi. Magadha then passed into the hands of the Nanda dynasty. Nine generations later, Dhananand ascended the throne. This was around 300 BCE, about 200 years after Lord Mahavir’s nirvana.

The greedy Dhananand was far from being a just and noble ruler. He had heard a legend about hidden treasure that belonged to one of his predecessors and was desperate to get his hands on it. Unfortunately, he had no idea where this treasure was hidden. However, he knew that the old Prime Minister Shaktal, who had served his father, had knowledge of the treasure’s whereabouts. Dhananand therefore tried everything he could to get the information from the prime minister and locate the treasure, but Shaktal refused to provide any information about the whereabouts of this treasure. The King therefore forced him to retire and the administration was entrusted to other ministers.

Kumar Sthulibhadra enjoying Kosha’s dance

Shaktal was a wise, highly respected person in the kingdom. Many scholars and high ranking officials admired him and were eager to consult him on important matters. However, they avoided communicating with him because they feared that the King would not approve.

Shaktal had seven daughters and two sons, Sthulibhadra and Shriyak. Sthulibhadra was smart, brilliant, and handsome, but unambitious. From a very young age, Sthulibhadra had watched the performance of a beautiful dancer named Kosha in Patliputra, the capital city of Magadha. Eventually, they fell in love. Though his family disapproved, Sthulibhadra was deeply in love and left home at the young age of 18 to live with Kosha. He was infatuated with her and abandoned all interest in his career and other family members. King Dhananand had intended to appoint him to a high position in the court, but Sthulibhadra declined the offer. The King therefore appointed his younger brother, Shriyak, to the position.

As time passed, things began to look grim for Dhananand’s reign. The citizens of Magadha witnessed major political upheavals and turmoil. People felt dissatisfied with the current regime and looked for the end of the Nanda dynasty. King Dhananand felt insecure and was suspicious of all his ministers and advisors, including Shriyak and his father Shaktal.

Aware that the King was very suspicious of him, Shaktal became worried about the political future of his younger son. Shaktal therefore decided to sacrifice his life in order to provide proof of Shriyak’s loyalty to the King. He requested his son, Shriyak, to kill him in the presence of the King and other ministers. This way, the King would have proof that Shriyak was a very loyal minister. Prior to the execution, he explained to Shriyak that he would swallow some poison so that Shriyak would not truly (morally and religiously) be responsible for his father’s death. Meanwhile, the King would feel that Shriyak was very loyal to him because he had seemingly killed his own father for the King. Thus, Shaktal died seemingly at the hands of his own son in order to prove his son’s loyalty.

When Sthulibhadra learned about that tragic event, he was taken aback. By that time, he had spent twelve years with Kosha and had never cared for anyone else. His father’s death opened his eyes, and he started reflecting on his past. “Twelve long years of my youth! What did I get during this long period?” Sthulibhadra realized that in his youth he had not acquired anything that would endure. The tragic death of his father brought home the reality that all life comes to an end. “Is there no way to escape death?” he asked himself. “What is the nature of life after all? Who am I, and what is my mission in life?”
Thinking deep into these questions, he realized that the body and all worldly aspects are transitory and physical pleasures do not lead to lasting happiness. He looked at his image in the mirror and noticed the unmistakable marks of a lustful life. Having realized that he was wasting his youth, he decided to search for lasting happiness. He left Kosha and went straight to acharya Sambhutivijay, the sixth successor to Lord Mahavir. Surrendering himself to the acharya, he said that he was sick of his lustful lifestyle and wanted to do something worthwhile with his life. The acharya considered his request carefully. Here was a young man of thirty who seemed to have lost the vigor of youth. The lustful life he had led had taken a toll on his body, but the brightness inherited from his illustrious father still glowed on his face. Seeing Sthulibhadra’s determined and humble state, the learned acharya saw in him a great future for the religious order and accepted him as his pupil.
Sthulibhadra quickly adjusted to the new pattern of his life. The ambition that he had lacked in his youth soon emerged in his adulthood. Keen to make up for lost years, he devoted all of his energy to spiritual upliftment. He worked diligently, and in no time gained the confidence of his guru. He had successfully overcome his senses of attachment and lustfulness and gained control over his inner enemies. It was time for his faith to be tested.

The monsoon season was approaching and the monks had to settle in one place during the rainy season which generally lasted four months in the Indian climate. Sthulibhadra and three other sadhus who had attained a high level of equanimity wanted to test their faith and determination by spending this time under the most adverse conditions. Each one chose the most adverse conditions for themselves. One of them requested permission from his acharya to stay at the entrance of a lion’s den. Another wanted to spend the time near a snake’s hole. The third wanted to spend the four months on top of an open well. The acharya knew that they were capable of withstanding these hardships and permitted them to do this. However, Sthulibhadra humbly asked to spend the monsoon in the picture gallery of the residence of Kosha. The acharya knew how difficult this test would be for Sthulibhadra, but he also knew Sthulibhadra’s determination and felt that spiritually, the monk would not progress any further without passing this test. Therefore, he permitted Sthulibhadra to spend the monsoon at Kosha’s house.

Kumar Sthulibhadra’s life from falling in love with Kosha, spending

12 years of his youth with her and later being able to spend a

monsoon at her house with total detachment

Sthulibhadra approached Kosha and asked her for permission to stay in the picture gallery during the monsoon season. Kosha was surprised to see him. He had left her in such an ambivalent state that she had not been sure if she would ever see him again. By this time, she was missing him and was happy to see him again, not knowing the true purpose of his return. For that monsoon season, both had different goals. Kosha endeavored to win him back into her life, using all her seductive skills. She felt that having him live in her picture gallery was to her advantage. In contrast, Sthulibhadra’s goal was to overcome the strong temptation of Kosha’s beauty. Who would win? Sthulibhadra’s strong faith and determination served him well during this test. He focused his mind on spiritual meditation, contemplating the transitory nature of life and the need to break away from the cycle of birth and death. Ultimately, Kosha realized the wastefulness of her life and became his disciple. Sthulibhadra emerged spiritually stronger from this experience.

At the end of the monsoon all the monks returned and described their experience. The first three monks described their success and they were congratulated. But when Sthulibhadra reported the success of his test, the acharya actually rose from his seat in all praise and hailed Sthulibhadra for performing a formidable task. The other monks became jealous. Why was Sthulibhadra’s feat so much more impressive than theirs? After all, they had endured physical hardships while he had spent the monsoon in comfort and security. The acharya explained that it was an impossible feat for anyone else. The first monk then boasted that he could easily accomplish the same task the following monsoon. The acharya tried to dissuade him from his intent, knowing that it was beyond his capability. The monk, wanting to prove his spiritual strength to the acharya, persisted and was reluctantly given permission for the next monsoon season.

The monk was unable to stay detached seeing Kosha’s beauty
and forgot his vows in the hope of receiving Kosha’s love

The next monsoon, the monk went to Kosha’s place. The immodest pictures in the gallery were enough to excite him. When he saw the glamorous Kosha, his remaining resistance melted away and he begged for her love. After seeing the pious life of Sthulibhadra, Kosha had learned the value of an ascetic life. In order to teach the monk a lesson, she agreed to love him only if he gave her a diamond-studded garment from Nepal, a town 250 miles north of Patliputra. The monk was so infatuated that he left immediately for Nepal, forgetting that monks were not supposed to travel during the monsoon. With considerable difficulty, he procured the garment and returned to Patliputra, confident of receiving Kosha’s love. Kosha accepted the beautiful garment, wiped her feet on it and threw it away in the trash.
The monk was stunned. He asked, “Are you crazy, Kosha? Why are you throwing away the precious gift that I have brought you with so much difficulty?” Kosha replied, “Why are you throwing away the precious life of monkhood that you have acquired with so much effort?” The humbled monk realized his foolishness and returned to his acharya to report his miserable failure. From that day onwards, there was immense respect for Sthulibhadra throughout the community.
Sthulibhadra played a major role in later years preserving the oldest Jain scriptures, known as the twelve Anga agams and the fourteen purvas. Jain history indicates that acharya Bhadrabahu, the successor of acharya Sambhutivijay as the head of the religious order, was the last monk to have complete knowledge of all the Jain scriptures. Both acharya Sambhutivijay and acharya Bhadrabahu had been the disciples of acharya Yashobhadra.

In those days, the Jain scriptures were memorized and passed down orally from guru to disciple. They were not documented in any form. Under the leadership of acharya Bhadrabahu, Sthulibhadra thoroughly studied eleven of the twelve Anga agams. However, an extended famine prevented Sthulibhadra from studying the twelfth Anga agam, known as Drashtivad, which contained the 14 purvas. During the famine, acharya Bhadrabahu-swami migrated south with 12, 000 disciples. acharya Sthulibhadra succeeded him as the leader of the monks who stayed behind in Patliputra. The hardships of the famine made it difficult for the monks to observe their code of conduct properly. In addition, many of the monks’ memories failed them and many parts of the Anga agams were forgotten.
The famine lasted for twelve years. After the famine, Sthulibhadra decided to recompile the Jain scriptures. A convention was held in Patliputra under the leadership of acharya Sthulibhadra. Eleven of the twelve Anga agams were orally recompiled at the convention, but none of the monks at the convention could remember the twelfth Anga agam and its 14 purvas. Only acharya Bhadrabahu swami had this knowledge; he had left southern India and was now in the mountains of Nepal to practice a special penance and meditation. The Jain sangh therefore requested Sthulibhadra and some other learned monks to go to acharya Bhadrabahu-swami and learn the twelfth agam.

Several monks undertook the long journey, but only Sthulibhadra reached Nepal. He began to learn the twelfth Anga agam and its 14 purvas under acharya Bhadrabahu.
Once, Sthulibhadra’s sisters, who were nuns, decided to visit him in Nepal. At this time, Sthulibhadra had completely learned 10 of the 14 purvas. He wanted to impress them with the miraculous power he had acquired from learning the 10 purvas and knowledge from the twelfth agam. Therefore, he transformed his body into a lion and waited for them to arrive. When his sisters entered the cave, they found a lion instead of their brother. Fearful of what may have happened to him, they went directly to Bhadrabahu swami. acharya Bhadrabahu realized what had happened and asked the sisters to go back to the cave again. This time, Sthulibhadra had resumed his original form and the sisters were joyful to see him alive and well.
However, Bhadrabahu swami was disappointed because Sthulibhadra had misused his special powers for such a trivial purpose. He felt that Sthulibhadra was not mature enough in his spiritual progress and therefore refused to teach him the remaining four purvas. A chastised Sthulibhadra tried to persuade him to reconsider, but Bhadrabahu swami was firm. It was only when the Jain sangh requested acharya Bhadrabahu to reconsider his decision that Sthulibhadra was allowed to learn the remaining four Purvas. But acharya Bhadrabahu attached two condi tions for Sthulibhadra:
 He would not teach Sthulibhadra the meaning of the last four Purvas
 Sthulibhadra could not teach those four purvas to any other monk
Sthulibhadra agreed and learned the remaining four purvas.
Since Jain scriptures were not written down and acharya Sthulibhadra made significant efforts to save them after the famine, his name stands very high in the history of Jainism. Even today, his name is recited next to Lord Mahavir and Gautam swami by the Shvetambar tradition.

It is never too late to set high goals in life, and with determination, there is no adversity too difficult to overcome. Though he was 30 at the time and had wasted 12 years of his life, Sthulibhadra renounced the world and successfully pursued an austere spiritual life. With resolve, he also conquered his biggest inner enemy, desire, by returning to the place where his desire had previously gotten the best of him. Ultimately, he became a famous Jain saint whose name is still repeated in prayers for his great religious work

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JAINAM JAYATI SHASHNAM