Chapter-22 - Arihant Parmeshthi

1. Who is called Arihant Prmeshthi ?

Who is adored by 100 Indras ,who is passionless ,Omniscient and who is benevolent in speech, (i,e.who delivers spiritual preaching which are beneficial to all), who has destroyed four destructive Karmas due to which he gained four infinite exclusive Excellences (Anant chushtaya ), who has faded even the radiance of the Sun by the radiance of his supreme pure gross / transparent body, who remains four fingers above from the lotus placed on the throne ,who is embellished with the 34 excellences and eight auspicious emblems, who has become free from birth-death, etc. 18 faults, is called Arihant Parmeshti.

2. What are synonym names of Arihant Parmeshti ? 

Arihanta, Aruhanta, Arhat, Jina, Sakal Parmatma, Arhanta and Sayogkevali.

1. Arihanta - Who has “Hant”, i.e. destroyed “Ari”, i.e. enemies ,(i.e. Destructive Karma), is called Arihanta.

2. Aruhanta - He roots out the tree of Destructive Karma, hence, is called Aruhanta.

3. Arhat - Who is worshipped by deities, Indra, humans, Chakravarti, is Arhat Parmeshthi “Arham poojayam”, the root word “Arhah” means “worshippable” and with the conjunction of root word “Arhah”, the word Arhat is formed which means “who is evi dently gets worship by all”.

4. Jina - Who wins out the attachments, etc. enemies, removes the ignorance ,etc. coverings, that soul, is called Jina. 5. Sakal Parmatma - “Kala” means body, who is with pure supreme transparent body, is called Sakal Parmatma, i.e. Supreme soul with pure body.

6. Arhanta - Who has seen the entire matter-substances by his omniscience, destroying the destructive Karma, is called Arhanta (Shri Dhavlaji , 8/3, 41/89/2).

7. Sayog Kevli - Who is omniscient at present but is with vibration in the soul-points.

3. How many basic virtues /attributes are there of Arihant Parmeshthi ?

There are 46 virtues of Arihant Parmeshthin which includes 34 Excellences ((Atishaya10 of birth, 10 of omniscience and 14 created by celestial beings ), eight auspicious emblems (Pratiharya) and four infinite exclusive Excellences of Jina Lord ( Anant Chatushtaya-Infinite conation , knowledge ,bliss & power).

4. What are ten excellences of birth of Arihant Parmeshthi ?

1. Extremely beautiful body, 2.extremely perfumed body, 3 sweatless body, 4. body free from excrement and urine, 5. Beneficial sweet voice, 6. incomparable power, 7. white blood like milk, 8. 1008 auspicious characteristics / marks which includes conch, club, Chakra (wheel), etc. 108 characteristics and mole, measles ,etc. 900 symbolic marks, 9. symmetric form (Samchaturasra Sansthan), 10. adamantine-osseous structure/constitution (Vajravrashabhnarach Samhnan).

5. What are the ten excellences of omniscience of Arihant Parmeshthi ?

1. Flourishness all around in all the four directions up to 100 yojan (one yojan= four kosa, one kosa is = 2 miles and one mile is =1.5 km.), i.e. time of plenty and prosperity, no famine spreads within that area.
2. Space-Movement, i.e. movement above four fingers from the lotus (placed on the throne)
3. Four faced-ness - there is only one face which is visible from all the four directions.
4. Non-existence of pitilessness, i.e. there is virtuous disposition of compassion and the violence of any type does not occur there.
5. Non-existence of calamity - neither calamity is committed on the Omniscient nor in his assembly and if there already had been calamity it ends with the manifestation of omniscience, like the calamity afflicting on Teerthankara Parshwanath, was destroyed as soon as the omniscience manifested.
6. Non-existence of morsel-food - after manifestation of omniscience, he does not need taking morsel food.
7. Mastery over all learning.
8. Growth-less-ness of nails and hair.
9. Wink-less vision.
10. Shadow-less-ness of the body.

6. What are the 14 Excellences designed by the deities?

1. Semi-Maggdhi language - The nectarous speech of the Lord remains beneficial to all living beings and the deities of Magadhian community expand it in all the 12 Assemblies and translate it in all the languages.
2. Mutual friendship - Spirit of friendship is infused among all the living beings due to which even inborn enemies-lion-deer, snake-mongoose ,etc.sit together forgetting their en mity.
3. Purity in all the ten directions - All directions become free from dust, etc. filths.
4. Pure clean / dustless sky - The sky becomes free from clouds, etc.
5. Blooming and sprouting of fruits and flowers of all season.
6. Crystal clear earth like a mirror up to one Yojana.
7. Creation of golden lotuses beneath the feet of the Lord at the time of movement.
8. The sound of devotional acclaim in the space.
9. Blowing of slow and fragrant wind.
10. Shower of sacred fragrant / perfumed water.
11. Thornless ground, i.e. the ground becomes free from pebbles, stones and thrones.
12. Supreme joy to all beings.
13. Movement of religious wheel ahead.
14. The eight auspicious substances accompany the Lord, such as parasol, whisk, pitcher, small pitcher with a spout, ensign, fan, Thona, and mirror.

7. What are called Ashata Pratiharya, i.e. Auspicious emblems and what are they?

Ashoka tree, etc. created by celestial beings, are called Ashta Pratiharya. They are eight in number.

1 Ashoka tree, 2. Three parasols, 3. Throne studded with jewels, 4 Divya Dhwani (Divine voice in the form of Omkar sound), 5. Kettle-drum, 6 Divine flower-fall, 7. Bhamandal (Halo), 8. Sixty four Whisks. (T.P., gatha 4/924-936)

1. Ashoka tree - Behind the throne of Teerthankara ensconced in the Samavsaran there is one Ashoka tree created by deities and spreaded over the head of the Teerthankara which is adorned with flowers of jewels and by red leaves.

2. Three parasols - Three parasols, studded with gems and adorned with frill of pearls , as a mark of sovereignty over all the three universes and broader from top to bottom, in sequence , remain over the head of the Lord.

3. The throne studded with gems - There is one throne studded with jewels which makes the luster of the Sun dim and is lion-shaped. There is one lotus consisting of one thousand petals on the throne and the Lord ensconces four fingers above that lotus in the space.

4. Divya Dhwani - Divine sound in the form of Omkar sound -One strange type of thunderous form of alphabetical sound in the form of"Omkar Sound" comes out from the mouth of the Lord after manifestation of omniscience which is called "Divya Dhwani". This sound is in the nature of transforming into the language of animals, humans and celestial beings; is extremely sweet, charming, profound and elaborate, comes out naturally on its own without the desire of the Lord due to virtues of the living beings capable of attaining salvation (Bhavya-Jeeva ), but it does not come out in the ab sence of the Gandhara.

5. Divine kettle-drum - There is divine kettle-drum acclaiming the Teerthankara which is profound like the ocean pervading all the directions and gives the auspicious message of the arrival of the Lord to all the livings of the three universes.

6. Flower-shower - There goes on showering of divine flowers from the sky of pleasant Mandar, Sundar, Nameru, Parijat and Santanak ,etc.good trees with their head upwards accompanied by fragrant drops of water on the Lord in the Samavsaran.

7. Bhamandal (Halo)- An extreme brilliant more radiant than many of the suns as well as charming halo appears surrounding the head of the Lord which makes the body of the supreme soul rapturous and lustrous. Its brilliance disdains the light of the illuminated substances of the three worlds. In the reflection of this halo, the accomplishable soul (Bhavyatma), i.e.soul worthy for salvation can observe his three lives of the past ,one

of the present and three of the future totaling seven. (Jain Tattva Vidya ,P.45).

8. 64 Whisks - On both the sides of the Lord sixty four whisks are waved by handsomely adorned deities. These whisks are of clean, shining fibres and of beautiful shape like the fibres of lotus-stems and their staffs are studded with superior gems and are golden.

8. Which are the infinite quadruplet exclusive Excellences (Anant chatushtaya )?

Infinite knowledge, infinite perception, infinite bliss and infinite power.

9. What is called "Atishaya “?

Miraculous , amazing and attractive specficl acts, are called “Atishaya”) or “Atishaya” is the speciality not found in common people.

10. Enumerate the kinds of Kevali (Omnicient)?

1. Teerthankara Kevali - The omniscient who enjoys 2,3,5 Kalyanakas ,i.e. auspicious benedictory events.
2. General omniscient - Omniscient who are not accompanied by Kalyanakas.
3. Antkrit Keveli - The ascetics who attain final emancipation within an Antarmuhurta by attaining omniscience on occurring of some calamity.
4. Upsarga Keveli - The ascetics who attain omniscience by enduring the calamity.
5. Mook Keveli - The ascetics whose speech/divine Omkar sound does not come out even after manifestation of omniscience for example Muni Deshbhushan and Muni Kulbhushanji.
6. Anubaddh Keveli - Manifestation of omniscience just at that very day on which one ascetic attained salvation, Just as Gautam Swami, Sudharmacharya and Jambu Swami. These three were Anubaddha Kevali.
7. Samudghat keveli - When the age of the omniscient remains Antarmuhurta and the duration of remaining Karma remains somewhat more, hence he performs Samudghat (i.e.emanation of soul points without leaving the body) for equalizing the duration of remaining Karmas equal to the age Karma .