Risabha Deva - Book Summary | JainGPT

Here's a comprehensive summary of the Jain text "Rishabha Deva" by Champat Rai Jain, based on the provided pages:

Overview:

"Rishabha Deva: The Founder of Jainism" by Champat Rai Jain is a comprehensive exposition of the life and teachings of the first Tirthankara (teaching god) in the current time cycle according to Jainism. The book aims to establish Rishabha Deva's historical and religious significance, tracing his journey through multiple lifetimes leading up to his final manifestation as the founder of Jainism. The author draws heavily on Jain scriptures like the "Adi Purana" and other Jain and Hindu texts to support his narrative.

Key Themes and Content:

Antiquity and Identity: The book strongly emphasizes Rishabha Deva's immense antiquity, predating all known rational religions. It argues that while the exact date is unfixable, his existence is far beyond recorded history, possibly millions of years ago. The text also highlights the consensus among Hindu Puranas that Rishabha Deva was the original founder of Jainism and an incarnation of Vishnu. The author uses various Puranic references to support this claim.
The Journey of the Soul (Previous Incarnations): A significant portion of the book is dedicated to detailing Rishabha Deva's spiritual journey through numerous past lives. These lives are presented as preparatory stages where the soul cultivated virtues, overcame passions, and accumulated merit. Notable previous lives include:
- Jaya Varma: A prince who renounced worldly life after his father favored his younger brother. He became an ascetic and met his end by a serpent bite.
- Mahabala: A virtuous king who, influenced by his Jaina minister, embraced asceticism after experiencing disturbing dreams, leading to a death by sallekhana (holy fasting) and rebirth in a celestial realm.
- Lalitanga: A celestial being (deva) who enjoyed heavenly pleasures but still remembered his past lives and continued to worship Tirthankaras. His life was characterized by ease and companionship with Svayam Prabha.
- Bajrajangha: Born as a prince, he married Śrimati (the soul of Svayam Prabha) and lived a life of dharma and devotion, meeting an accidental death.
- Bhogabhumija: Born as twins in a land of enjoyment, they lived a long, carefree life before returning to the heavens.
- Śridhara Deva: Another celestial life where he and Śrimati (now a deva) enjoyed heavenly pleasures and worshipped Tirthankaras.
- Subidhi: Born as a prince, married his cousin, and fathered a son, Kesava (the soul of Śrimati). He lived a householder's life devoted to dharma and performed sallekhana.
- Achyutendra: Subidhi's soul became a celestial ruler (Indra) in a high heaven. Kesava (Śrimati's soul) also attained a high celestial position as Pratindra.
- Emperor Bajranabhi: Achyutendra's soul was born as a prince and later an emperor. He also asprued to become a Tirthankara, demonstrating intense asceticism and self-control.
- Ahamindra: Bajranabhi's soul reached the highest celestial abode, Sarvarthasiddhi, where desires are fulfilled, and one is prepared for the final human birth.
Birth and Childhood: The book describes Rishabha Deva's conception and birth as extraordinarily auspicious. Queen Maru Devi, his mother, dreamt sixteen auspicious dreams, which were interpreted by King Nabhi Rai as portending the birth of a divine being. His birth was accompanied by universal peace and celestial celebrations, including an abhiseka (anointing) by the devas. Rishabha Deva was born with innate clairvoyance and knowledge of arts and sciences, possessing a pure body and a detached disposition. Despite his inclination towards celibacy, he married two accomplished sisters, Yasovati and Sunanda, at his father's request to set an example for humanity.
Family Life and Progeny: Rishabha Deva's primary queens were Yasovati, who bore him the future Emperor Bharata and Princess Brahmi, and Sunanda, who bore him the great Bahubali and Princess Sundari. The text details the education of his children, with Brahmi giving her name to the Brahmi script, and Bahubali being renowned for his beauty and accomplishments. The book also mentions the differing dispositions of his sons, with Bharata focusing on law and governance, and Bahubali excelling in various arts and sciences.
Public Life and Societal Foundations: Rishabha Deva is credited with laying the foundations of civilization. He taught people agriculture, crafts, and arts, establishing civic order by dividing the land into provinces and appointing rulers. He introduced a vocational classification of society (Varna-vyavastha) comprising three categories: Kshatriyas (warriors), Vaishyas (traders), and Sudras (laborers and artisans). The author explains this system as a pragmatic political and social arrangement, contrasting it with the later, mythological Hindu interpretation of caste. He also touches upon the later emergence of the Brahmana class under Bharata and the concept of untouchability, attributing them to societal evolution rather than Rishabha Deva's original teachings.
World-Flight and Asceticism (Sannyasa): After a long period of ruling and establishing societal order, Rishabha Deva renounced the world. He appointed Bharata as king and Bahubali as heir-apparent, then proceeded to the Siddhartha forest near Allahabad. There, he performed keshalochana (pulling out his hair) and became a digambara (clothed in nothing). He then commenced a rigorous period of meditation and austerity, lasting for months, during which he abstained from food and water. The text highlights the difference between his true asceticism, driven by inner freedom, and the imitation by his four thousand followers who eventually succumbed to worldly needs.
Breaking the Fast and Omniscience: After prolonged fasting, Rishabha Deva eventually accepted sugarcane juice from Sreyansa, a prince who, through past-life recollections, understood the correct way to offer sustenance to a saint. This event, celebrated as Akshaya Tritiya, marked the end of his severe fasting. Subsequently, through intense austerity and the destruction of "ghatiyad" karmas (obstructive karmic forces), Rishabha Deva attained Omniscience (Kevala Jnana). This is described as the blazing forth of the soul's inherent, all-encompassing knowledge.
The Samavasarana: Upon attaining Omniscience, Rishabha Deva's preaching began in a divine assembly known as the Samavasarana, a celestial pavilion erected by devas. His speech, termed "anakshari" (without letters), was pure sound and understood by all, simultaneously translated into various languages by the devas. The Samavasarana was a place of universal spiritual opportunity, where people of all walks of life could receive divine wisdom. The book details the rituals and divine manifestations that accompanied his preaching, emphasizing that Tirthankaras teach through direct experience and clarity, not metaphor or allegory. His chief disciples and followers, including his sons and daughters, are also mentioned as joining the spiritual order.
Peeping into the Future (Prophecies): The book includes interpretations of Bharata's dreams, which foreshadowed the decline of spirituality and the challenges faced in the current age (Panchama Kala). These prophecies describe the deterioration of religious practices, the rise of false gurus, societal degradation, and the eventual decline of Jainism in India, with its potential revival in other parts of the world. The author also offers scientific explanations for these predicted calamities, linking them to astronomical events.
The Community of the Faithful: Jainism's community is structured into four classes: male saints and householders, and female nuns and pious laity. This division is based on the understanding that spiritual advancement is a gradual process. The text lists the vast numbers of followers, apostles, omniscient saints, nuns, and lay devotees who adhered to Rishabha Deva's teachings.
Nirvana: The book concludes with Rishabha Deva's attainment of Nirvana (liberation). This event, the fifth kalyanaka (auspicious event), occurred on Mount Kailasa. His departure from the physical body is described as a dispersion of his form, leaving behind only hairs and nails. The devas celebrated this auspicious occasion, while Bharata initially grieved but was comforted by a disciple and eventually followed his father's path to sainthood and liberation. The author emphasizes that those who follow the Dharma are guaranteed to reach the ultimate goal of perfection and bliss.
Last Word (Historical Context): The concluding section addresses the historical debate surrounding Rishabha Deva's existence. The author argues forcefully for his historicity, citing Jaina canonical texts, Hindu Puranas, Vedic references (though acknowledging scholarly debate on interpretation), and archaeological evidence from Mohenjo-Daro and the Hathi Gumpha inscription. He asserts that the agreement between Jaina and Brahmanical texts, along with epigraphical findings, strongly supports the tradition of Rishabha Deva as the first Tirthankara and the founder of Jainism.

Overall Message:

"Rishabha Deva" presents Rishabha Deva as the foundational figure of Jainism, a being of immense antiquity and spiritual attainment who guided humanity towards liberation through a path of non-violence, self-control, and spiritual knowledge. The book aims to dispel misconceptions about Jainism's origins and underscore the timeless relevance of its teachings, emphasizing the soul's potential for perfection through dedicated spiritual practice across multiple lifetimes.