STORIES

Kumarpal Puja Katha

Do the souls not get great fruit of even a slight worship performed to Lord Jinesvara ? To explain : a pumpkin gourd creeper, though small in size, present big fruits to its nourisher.

Even a little service to Lord Mahavir brings better results. In this regard the Gujarat King Kumarapala born of Caulukya dynasty and the Staunch devotee of Lord Mahavira is celebrated as an example.

There lived a Ksatriya called Jaitra who was surrounded by his servant - plunderers in the slum area situated in Malava region.

Though kind by nature used to being in conact with thieve, he looted many caravans & enjoyed
additions.

Once a merchant named Jesala along with hunderds of other merchants with him was proceeding with a desire to trade to some city carrying ten thousands beasts loaded with goods on their backs. wicked robbers came to know of it.

Jaitra - Kshatriya got all the traders robbed by his robbers. Then their leader Jesala being extremely angry returned to his city.

The group leader - Jesala reached the city, requested the king and taking king's army with him, returned to the robber's colony and killed all the arrogant robbers.

The extremely cruel merchant chief even the kid of Jaitra Ksatriya and returned to his city with all his wealth recovered.

There the King decried Jesala as one who committed the act of infanticide. So out of detachment, he became a monk and began to practise austerity.

Then Jaitra Ksatriya, desirous of living, emerged out of the adversity any how and came to the city named Urangabala in Andhra.

In Urang abala city Jaitra Kshatriya having no food-provision, and hence having been distressed and facing poverty got himself employed as a servant to the Merchant named Odhara.

On hearing constantly the discourse from Acarya Sri Yasobhadra that Jaitra Ksatriya became religious minded.

I shall never kill innocent creatures. I shall never tell a lie- such and the like vows Jaitra Kshatriya took before Acarya Sri Yasovijaya.

Once, on the eve of an annual celebration master Odhara, putting on neat and well washed clothes, accompained by Jaitra Ksatriya, went to the Jain temple to venerate Lord Mahavira.

On seeing all the people there in nice clothes and ornaments performing adoration, Jaitra Ksatriya began to think this way.

Oh ! these are fortunate in this birth due to their precious good actions and indeed, their next birth will be a fortunate one.

Magha also says (in his Sisupalavadham i.e. Narada's statement to Lord Visnu) : "O Lord your
vision in the present birth destroys sins of the embodied souls; it is the root-cause of forthcoming blessed life and the present birth is, even the result of good actions in the previous life. So your vision exhibits the fitness of the souls."

So I will also adore Lord Jinesvara very soon, because the adoration to Lord Jinesvara only, is the root cause of all riches.

Thinking Thus he, after having purchased flowers by nine coins earned in gambling, worshipped Lord Jinesvara.

He became purified through faith raised to adore Lord Jinesvara and got absorbed in Lora's adoration. He observed a fast also on the instruction from his holymaster on that very day.

After death Jaitra, reborn as Kumarpala, became the King of Gujarat province. He was a staunch devotee of Arhat, the master Odhara became Udayana, Jesala became Jaysimha, the leader of Sangha, and Yashobhadra was reborn as Hemacandracarya.

For the first time king Kumarpal proclaimed unprecedented non-violence in eighteen regions like Konkana Maharastra, Kila, Jalandhara, Padalaksa, Mewar, Diu, Kasitata, Karnataka, Gujarat, Lata, Saurastra, Kaccha, Sindh, Ucca, Bhabberi, Marwar and Malava, during even the adverse period of Kali era.

In ancient times King Srenika, whom Lord Mahavira preached religious sermons and who had the wise minister named Abhaya, could not enforce Non-killing, while King Kumarapala receiving religious preaching from Rev. Hemacandracarya, did it effortlessly. May Rev. Hemacandracarya be victorious.

O King Kumarapala ! be blessed. Devendra - the king of the heaven bows and prays with bliss to Rev. Hemacandracarya the preceptor of the king of Srinagara (Ahmedabad). "Through enforcement of Non-killing, you have bestowed fearlessness upon the deespotted moon, the masculine baffalo of the god - Yama, acqua creatures of Varunadeva and a fish, a boar as well as a tortoise of Lord Vishnu - well done ! bravo !

Thus implementing the sovereign ruling of the religion for his whole life King Kumarapala (as a result of that deed) will be born as the foremost Ganadhara of Lord Padmanabha Jinesvara.

Thus, a peak of prosperity results from even a little (simple) adoration of Lord Jinesvara. Therefore, among all religious rituals Lord Jinesvara's adoration should be inevitably performed.