Bhagwan Mallinath

Here is a comprehensive summary of the provided Jain text about Bhagwan Mallinath:

The book "Bhagwan Mallinath" by the JAINA Education Committee tells the story of the 19th Tirthankar, Mallinath.

The narrative begins in the past life of Bhagwan Mallinath, when he was known as Prince Mahabal, ruling the city of Veetshoka in Mahä-videha. Mahabal and his six childhood friends were inseparable. One day, they were deeply impressed by a sermon from Acharya Dharmaghosh-suri. Mahabal realized the inherent suffering in worldly life and decided to renounce it, with his friends agreeing to join him.

As monks, Mahabal and his friends practiced austerities. However, Mahabal's desire was not just personal liberation but also to free all living beings from suffering. To achieve this, he engaged in more intense and secret austerities, which earned him the Tirthankar-Nam-Karma (the karma that designates one as a Tirthankar). This secrecy also led to the acquisition of karma that would result in him being born female in a future life. All seven friends lived virtuous lives as monks, attained heavenly abodes, and were later reborn as humans.

The story then shifts to King Kumbha and Queen Prabhävati ruling Mithilä in India. Queen Prabhävati had 14 pious dreams (16 according to the Digambar tradition), indicating the arrival of a Tirthankar soul. Mahabal's soul, now carrying the Tirthankar-Nam-Karma and the female gender karma, descended into Prabhävati's womb, and she was born as Princess Malli. The Digambar tradition, however, believes Mallinath was male and rejects the notion of acquiring female gender karma. Mahabal's six friends were reborn as princes in different kingdoms.

Princess Malli grew up to be exceptionally beautiful and accomplished, while her brother, Malladin, was skilled in martial arts. King Kumbha established an art gallery in Mithilä, inviting artists to contribute. An artist with a special ability to create accurate portraits from seeing a small body part drew a lifelike portrait of Princess Malli from her toe. This portrait impressed Malladin, but he was concerned about the potential misuse of such talent. The artist refused to abandon his art, leading Malladin to order the severing of his thumb.

Enraged, the artist sought revenge. He commissioned another artist to create an even more attractive portrait of Malli and presented it to the King of Hastinapur, who had been Mahabal's close friend in a past life. The Hastinapur king fell in love with Malli and proposed marriage. Similarly, kings from Ayodhya, Champa, Kashi, Kampilyapur, and Shravasti also proposed. King Kumbha rejected all proposals, angering the six kings who then decided to conquer Mithilä. King Kumbha's forces were no match for their combined might, and Mithilä was besieged.

Princess Malli, realizing she was the cause of the conflict due to the previous life's affection from these kings, devised a plan. She requested her father to let her handle the situation. She set up a hall with six rooms, each behind a screen, and placed a lifelike statue of herself in the center. The statue was hollow with an opening at the top. A maid was instructed to place food inside the statue twice daily and close it tightly.

The six kings were invited to the hall to meet Malli. Each king was placed in a separate room and, through the screen, saw the statue, believing it to be the princess. While they waited, Malli entered the hall through a secret passage and opened the statue from behind. The food inside had decomposed, emitting a foul odor. Malli then revealed herself and pointed out the smell, asking why they couldn't bear the odor of a body they coveted so much. She explained that the body is inherently prone to decay and disintegration, regardless of how it is nourished. She questioned the purpose of attachment to a temporary physical form.

Upon hearing this, and recalling their past lives as friends who had renounced the world, the kings experienced a profound sense of detachment from their worldly pursuits. They decided to renounce their kingdoms and dedicate themselves to spiritual growth. Princess Malli also renounced worldly life, taking initiation at Sahasramravan. She quickly destroyed her destructive karmas and attained Keval-jnana (omniscience) on the same day, becoming the 19th Tirthankar. She then traveled the land, guiding others towards liberation, and eventually attained liberation (Moksha) on Mount Sametshikhar.

The text concludes by stating that the Shvetambar tradition believes Mallinath was female, while the Digambar tradition believes in a male Tirthankar. It emphasizes that Tirthankar idols represent their qualities, not physical form, and thus are depicted identically regardless of gender. The book highlights the transient nature of the physical body and the deceptive nature of physical beauty, using Princess Malli's story to illustrate the importance of spiritual progress and attaining liberation from the cycle of birth and death. The human life is presented as a precious opportunity for spiritual advancement.