Parshwanatha Bhagwana

Here's a comprehensive summary in English of the provided Jain text about Lord Parshvanatha:

Book Title: Parshwanatha Bhagwana Author(s): JAINA Education Committee Publisher: JAINA Education Committee

This document, from the "Jain Kath Sangrah" (Collection of Jain Tales), details the life of Lord Parshvanatha, the 23rd Tirthankara of Jainism.

Birth and Early Life: Lord Parshvanatha was born in Varanasi (Banaras) on the tenth day of the dark half of the month of Margashirsha (around December). His father was King Ashwasen, and his mother was Queen Vamadevi. During her pregnancy, Queen Vamadevi saw a snake, which deeply impacted her, leading to the naming of the prince "Parshva," meaning "near" or "neighbor" in Sanskrit. Parshva Kumar grew up in prosperity, becoming a handsome, virtuous, brave, and skilled warrior. He married Princess Prabhawati from a neighboring kingdom and lived a happy married life.

The Incident with Kamatha: At that time, an orphan beggar named Kamatha, who had lost his parents in childhood, arrived in Varanasi to perform a Panchagni Havan (a ritual involving five fires). Kamatha was a ritualist with no means, surviving on the charity of others. His rituals impressed the people, who began to worship him.

When Parshva Kumar learned about Kamatha's yajna (sacrifice), he tried to dissuade him from it due to the violence involved in burning animals in the fire. Kamatha refused to listen. With his divine knowledge, Parshva Kumar saw a snake being burned alive in the sacrificial wood. He rescued the half-burnt snake, astonishing everyone present as no one else could see it. He then recited the Navkar Mantra to the dying snake. After death, the snake was reborn in heaven as Dharanendra, the king of the Nagakumara (serpent deities).

Instead of regretting the death of the snake from his yajna, Kamatha became angry with Parshva Kumar. Seeking revenge, Kamatha performed severe penance and was reborn in his next life as Meghamali, the god of rain.

Renunciation and Attainment of Omniscience: Observing the suffering of worldly beings, Parshva Kumar experienced renunciation (vairagya). He left his worldly pleasures and relationships at the age of 30 and became an ascetic (sadhu). He decided to dedicate his life to meditation to find the ultimate truth. He entered deep meditative states and became known as Parshvanatha.

During one of his deep meditative states (Kaussagga), Meghamali saw him. Meghamali remembered the past incident of Parshva Kumar interfering with his yajna and his desire for revenge resurfaced. Using his divine powers, Meghamali sent ferocious animals – elephants, lions, tigers, and serpents – to attack Parshvanatha. However, upon seeing Parshvanatha, these animals became calm. Meghamali then unleashed a heavy downpour, with the rain rising to Parshvanatha's neck as he remained in meditation.

At that moment, King Dharanendra in heaven saw that Parshvanatha would be washed away by the floodwaters due to Meghamali's attack. He immediately placed a lotus flower beneath Parshvanatha's feet, raising him above the water's surface. Dharanendra then spread his hoods over Parshvanatha's head like an umbrella, protecting him from the rain. Dharanendra sternly rebuked Meghamali for his wicked actions and ordered him to stop the rain. All of Meghamali's attempts to trouble Parshvanatha failed. He felt deep remorse for troubling such a compassionate person. He withdrew all his divine powers, sought forgiveness for his wrongdoings, and fell at Parshvanatha's feet.

Equanimity and Enlightenment: Throughout the entire period of physical torment, Parshvanatha remained in deep meditation (Kaussagga). Therefore, both Meghamali's torment and Dharanendra's protection were equal to him. Having developed complete equanimity, he felt no favoritism towards Dharanendra nor hatred towards Meghamali. By developing the highest purity of the soul, he finally attained Kevaljnana (omniscience) on the 84th day of his renunciation, which was the fourth day of the dark half of Phalgun (around April).

Teachings and Nirvana: Parshvanatha established the four-fold Jain Sangha (community) and preached true religion to all. He became the 23rd Tirthankara of Jainism and had many followers, including ten Gandharas (chief disciples). His parents and wife also renounced the world and became ascetics. He attained Nirvana (liberation) at the age of 100 in Sametshikhar, a sacred site for Jains in Bihar.

Lord Parshvanatha's life serves as an example of detachment from material possessions and worldly relationships, compassion, and the strict adherence to non-violence. His life demonstrates the foundational principles of self-realization and the practice of maintaining equanimity towards one's enemies. The text concludes by stating that one should consider negative behavior from others as a result of one's own past karma, which helps in avoiding feelings of animosity towards them.