Bengali Parshwanath

Here's a comprehensive summary of the Jain text "Parshwanath" in English, based on the provided pages:

Book Title: Parshwanath Author: Unknown Publisher: ZZZ Unknown Language: Bengali

This text, published by Shree Jain Dharma Pracharaka Sabha from Kolkata, recounts the life story of Parshwanath, the 23rd Tirthankara of Jainism.

Early Life and Birth:

The story begins in the city of Varanasi, situated on the banks of the Ganges. The king of this city was Ashvasena, and his chief queen was Vamadevi. One dark night, while Vamadevi was asleep, a black snake slithered past her. Despite the darkness, she saw the snake, and remarkably, felt no fear. She recounted this to King Ashvasena, who interpreted it as a sign of her auspicious pregnancy, foretelling the birth of a child with infinite virtues.

Childhood and Marriage Preparations:

Indeed, a son was born to Vamadevi, renowned for his unparalleled beauty. He was named Parshvakumar. He grew up in luxury, surrounded by servants. As he reached adolescence, his strength and qualities became evident, earning him widespread admiration.

Meanwhile, in the city of Kushasthala, King Prasenjit ruled. He had a daughter named Prabhavati, whom he had meticulously raised to be exceptional in beauty and virtue. As Prabhavati came of age, King Prasenjit sought a suitable husband for her. Many princes and kings desired her hand, but Prasenjit found none worthy.

One day, Prabhavati was strolling in the beautifully adorned royal gardens, filled with fruit-laden trees and lotus-filled lakes. She heard a song praising Parshvakumar. Captivated by the song and Parshvakumar's virtues, she vowed to marry no one but him. This continuous contemplation of Parshvakumar caused her to become weak and frail.

The Intervention of King Yavna and the Alliance:

Prabhavati's friends, noticing her condition, informed her parents. Recognizing that Prabhavati had chosen an excellent match, her parents were pleased. However, Prabhavati remained consumed by thoughts of Parshvakumar.

Seeing Prabhavati's state, King Prasenjit and the queen decided it was best to send her to Parshvakumar. Prabhavati was known for her beauty, intelligence, and good qualities, attracting the attention of many powerful rulers.

The powerful King Yavna of Kalinga was also eager to marry Prabhavati. When he learned that Prabhavati was going to Parshvakumar for marriage, he became enraged. He felt insulted that Prasenjit would consider marrying his daughter to someone else while he lived, and that Prasenjit had the audacity to do so.

Enraged, King Yavna amassed his army and besieged Kushasthala, preventing anyone from entering or leaving. King Prasenjit was deeply worried, unable to defend his city. He realized that his only hope was to seek help from King Ashvasena of Varanasi. Remembering his loyal friend Purushottam, who was willing to sacrifice his life for him, Prasenjit secretly left Kushasthala at night and reached Varanasi as quickly as possible.

Parshvakumar's First Battle:

In his court, King Ashvasena was discussing religion and music when a guard announced a visitor from a distant land. Purushottam entered, bowed to the king, and informed him of the situation in Kushasthala. Hearing of the attack by King Yavna, Ashvasena became furious and vowed to march his entire army to Kushasthala.

Parshvakumar, hearing the war drums, left his play and went to his father. He humbly asked Ashvasena about the reason for the massive military expedition, stating that he saw no one stronger than his father. Ashvasena explained about King Yavna's attack on Prasenjit and the need for intervention.

Parshvakumar offered to go himself, asserting that no one, not even gods or demons, could stand against him, let alone a mere king. Ashvasena, however, hesitated, considering the battlefield a dangerous place and preferring Parshvakumar to enjoy a comfortable life at home. But seeing Parshvakumar's strong desire, Ashvasena agreed and granted him permission to lead the army.

Parshvakumar set off for Kushasthala. Upon arrival, he sent an envoy to King Yavna with a message: Prasenjit had sought his father's help, and therefore, Yavna should not attack him. He stated that his father was coming, but he had intervened and was now giving Yavna a chance to return to his kingdom and be forgiven.

However, the proud King Yavna dismissed the envoy, stating that Parshvakumar should retreat if he wished to live. An old minister advised Yavna that they could not stand before Parshvakumar and that their war was unjust. He suggested accepting Parshvakumar's terms to avoid bloodshed. Yavna heeded this wise advice.

King Yavna then came to Parshvakumar's camp and apologized for his actions. Parshvakumar wished him well, advised him to rule his kingdom peacefully, and cautioned him against such actions in the future. King Yavna then withdrew his troops and returned to Kalinga.

The Marriage and the Turn to Renunciation:

Prasenjit was delighted by this turn of events. Not only was the threat removed, but he had also met Parshvakumar. He brought Prabhavati to Parshvakumar's camp and requested him to marry her, stating that she loved him deeply and had suffered immensely in anticipation of their union.

Parshvakumar replied that he had come to protect Prasenjit, not to marry, and that his work was done, so he would depart. This saddened Prabhavati, who began to contemplate a solution. Prasenjit was also concerned. He decided that Parshvakumar might agree to the marriage if persuaded by King Ashvasena. Therefore, Prasenjit decided to go to Varanasi with Parshvakumar to meet his father.

Upon reaching Varanasi, Prasenjit paid his respects to Ashvasena and conveyed his request. Ashvasena responded that Parshvakumar had been inclined towards renunciation since childhood, and his life's goal was yet unknown. However, he expressed his strong desire for Parshvakumar to marry a suitable girl. He agreed to the marriage, albeit with reservations about Parshvakumar's interest.

Ashvasena, accompanied by Prasenjit, approached Parshvakumar. He urged him to marry Prabhavati, highlighting her love and the suitability of the match. Parshvakumar initially expressed his disinterest in marriage. However, after much persuasion and seeing his father's strong desire, he finally agreed. Prabhavati was overjoyed.

Encounter with Kamatha the Ascetic and the Serpent:

One day, while enjoying the view from his palace window in Varanasi, Parshvakumar saw people heading out of the city with flowers and offerings. He learned from a servant that they were going to worship an ascetic named Kamatha, who practiced penance by keeping fires around him and enduring the sun's heat.

Parshvakumar decided to visit the ascetic. He saw that a large snake was being burned inside a woodpile. His heart filled with compassion. He addressed Kamatha, calling his practice foolish and stating that suffering the elements like an animal was not true religion. He emphasized that ahimsa (non-violence) was the most noble and pure path.

Kamatha, proud of his austerity, dismissed Parshvakumar's words, claiming he knew nothing of religion as he had been raised in luxury. Parshvakumar, realizing the ascetic's pride, ordered the people to remove the woodpile. Inside, they found a snake suffering immensely in its dying moments. Parshvakumar recited the holy Navkar Mantra to the snake, which died instantly.

Kamatha felt ashamed, believing Parshvakumar had deliberately acted to humiliate him. He became angry but eventually stopped his penance. Shortly thereafter, he died and was reborn as Meghamali. The snake attained the status of a serpent king and became known as Dharanendra.

The Path to Kevalgyan (Omniscience):

As spring arrived, Parshvakumar and Prabhavati went to enjoy the beauty of the forest. They came across a magnificent palace and entered it. On the wall, they saw a picture depicting Neminathji's renunciation. This image inspired Parshvakumar to contemplate the ephemeral nature of life and the ultimate goal of self-realization and righteous conduct. His worldly desires began to fade, and his sole aim became a higher spiritual life. This aspiration was the beginning of his vairagya (renunciation).

Parshvakumar, who was the refuge of the distressed, deepened his resolve for renunciation. He began donating a significant amount of gold daily. After performing three days of fasting and severing ties with his family, he embraced the life of an ascetic, establishing a connection with the entire universe.

The Great Deluge and the Attainment of Kevalgyan:

Many others joined him as ascetics, and they began traveling across the land. One day, Parshvakumar, while wandering near Varanasi, reached the hermitage of Kamatha the ascetic. As night fell, he decided to stay beneath a banyan tree and began to meditate.

Meghamali, remembering his past enmity, tried to disturb Parshvakumar throughout the night, taking the forms of tigers, lions, and snakes. However, Parshvakumar remained undisturbed. Seeing his efforts fail, Meghamali unleashed a terrible storm. The sky darkened with clouds, lightning flashed, thunder roared, and torrential rain began. Trees were uprooted, and the land was submerged. Parshvakumar's body was gradually covered by water, but his meditation remained unbroken.

Dharanendra, the serpent king, witnessing this devastation, could not bear it and intervened to stop the onslaught. Parshvakumar stood as before, seeing Dharanendra and Meghamali as equal, embodying the virtue of equanimity towards friends and foes.

A few days after this event, Parshvakumar attained Kevalgyan – complete and true knowledge. He became famous as Shri Parshwanath. He began preaching a pure life, and many men and women were inspired by his teachings, forming a Sangha consisting of monks (sadhu), nuns (sadhvi), male householders (shravak), and female householders (shravika).

He established the Sangha or Tirth, making him a Tirthankar. His parents and other family members also joined the Sangha.

Nirvana:

After a lifespan of one hundred years, Parshvanath attained Nirvana at Sammeta Shikhar, achieving ultimate liberation from all karmic bonds.

The text concludes with salutations to Bhagwan Parshwanath and a concluding thought on the nature of virtuous action.