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In Bharathakshetra in the country of Kasi whose
capital city was Varnashi, there was a ruling king by name
Visvasena Maharaja. He belonged to Ugra Vamsa. He was of
Kashyapa gothra. His queen was Brahmi. The Deva Anatendra
after enjoying his swarga happiness for the allotted period
was to be born as a son to this Viswasena Maharaja. The Devas
became aware of this happy event that a divine child would be
born to these parents. They in order to celebrate this happy
event, showered golden jewels over the city. The queen had an
unusual dream indicating the birth of a divine baby. After
nine months, the queen gave birth to a son who would be the
future Thirthankara. This was in the year 1039 B.C. As soon as
the child was born, Devas assembled there and celebrated the
birth ceremony of the divine child. The child was given the
name, Parswanathaswami. This was 3,750 years after the Nirvana
of Bhagavan Arishtanemi. This Parswa Bhagavan’s body was of
light blue colour. His period of life would be 100 years. This
prince Parswa attended by the Devas grew to the age of 16
years. One day, he entered a park in a forest near the city in
order to have a happy sport with his friends.
There
was a king by name Mahipala who was ruling in the city of
Mahipalapura.This Mahipala was the maternal grandfather of Parswa.
When he lost his queen he renounced the kingdom and adopted ascetic
life. He began his practice of austerity surrounded by five fires.
When prince Parswa entered the forest, he passed his grandfather
without noticing him. So he was offended very much and became
wrathful. He thought that prince Parswa, his own grandson, was very
proud and so conceited that he did not recognize and respect his own
grandfather. He went with an axe to cut a tree nearby for firewood
to feed the fire around.
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Prince Parswa noticing this warned this
false ascetic Mahipala that there were living two snakes in a hole
of the tree which he was cutting. Hence he was asked not to cut the
tree because it would kill the snakes. But his advice was not taken
and he was going on cutting the tree. As a result of this
thoughtless act, the snakes hidden in the tree were cut by the axe.
When the prince Parswa saw the snake dying, he out of love and
mercy, pronounced before them the Panchanamaskara Mantra. Hearing
this holy mantra, the snakes died and were born as Nagadeva –
Dharanendra and his queen Padmavathi.
Then the prince Parswa addressed his grandfather, the false
ascetic as follows: “Your practice of Thapas in the in the midst
of five fires is practically useless not promoting your spiritual
welfare. Now you have seen how it had resulted in cruel destruction
of the living beings. If you realize that the fire that surrounds
you is merely the death trap for so many insects, then you will
understand that your practice of austerity is absolutely useless to
promote moral and spiritual development in you. You better give up
this useless practice.” The ascetic because of his intrinsic
hatred of the prince Parswa, did not accept his advice. He hated the
prince’s advice. With this disturbed emotion, he died and was born
as Deva by name Sambara.
Thus Lord Paraswa grew in happy circumstances till he
was 30 years. One day, he heard the king Devasena of Sakethapura was
celebrating the glory of Rishabha Thirthankara. Now he spurned the
royal glory and became an ascetic and finally realized the
Omniscient self. The young Parswa was very much influenced by his
life. He too wanted to renounce the world and adopt asceticism. At
the same time, Devas appeared there and carried him in a palanquin
to the near by Thapovana, the forest where he had to continue his
spiritual discipline or Thapas. Thus the Devas celebrated the
Dhiksha Kalyana of the Lord. There Parswa was engaged in yogic
contemplation. While he
was thus absorbed in yogic contemplation, Sambardeva was passing
along that place in his aerial vehicle. When the vehicle was just
passing over the yogi, it did not move. He looked down and saw there
his enemy engaged in yogic contemplation. His intrinsic was roused.
He wanted to destroy the yogi. He hurled at him various weapons. He
cast thunder and rain over him. He cast the rain of fire. He hurled
rocks over him. Thus, he continued the attack for nearly a week.
Leaning the awful situation in which the Bhagavan
Parswa was subjected to various cruel attacks. Dharanendra
appeared there and protected the body of the Lord by spreading his
thousand hoods over him. The weapons aimed at by Sambras (his
brother and traditional enemy) all fell as flowers at the feet of
the Lord. He realized how effect less were these weapons.
Undistrubed by all these attacks, the Lord continued his
contemplation till he realized his infinite qualities of Ananta
Gyana, Ananta Dharsana, Ananta Virya and Ananta Sukha. He became the
Omniscient Arahant. Immediately Devendras learnt that the Lord
became endowed with Kevalagyana. Then they provided the Lord with
Samavasarana, the glorious thing indicative the spiritual
perfection. Thus they celebrated the fourth Mahakalyana of the
appearance of the Omniscience.
When his enemy wanted all these celebrations by the
Devas, he realized how small he was before the Lord and how great
was the glory of Dharma, which the Lord represented. He gave up his
wrath. He became humble. He approached the Lord with humility. he
offered himself as his genuine devotees of the great Dharma. Thus he
became a devoted follower of Ahimsa Dharma and a worshiper of Lord
Paraswanatha.
After realizing Arihanta stage, Lord Parswa spent
69 years 0 months in preaching the Dharma to all people and in all
places. Finally, he spent one month in the summit of Sammedagiri
engaged in yogic contemplation. With the help of Sukla Dyana, or the
white contemplation, the remaining four Akhati Karmas were also
destroyed. His body was cast away. The perfected soul attained the
pure Sidhahood. Thus he attained Nirvana, the state of infinite
immortal bliss of spiritual sovereignty over the three worlds. The
Devas celebrated the last Parinirvana Kalyana. This was the year 939
B.C. i.e. 100 years after the birth of
Lord Parswa.
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