The Doctrine of the Jainas, Described after the Old Sources c6.13

c6.13

As to the world emperors we are informed in a similar way by Samav. 152a, though in Jambudd. 3 we have a detailed description concerning the career of the 1st cakkavaṭṭi Bharaha. This career consists in the obtaining of 14 imperial crown-treasures. In the armoury hall of his palace at Viṇiyā the wheel (1) settles first and then shows him the way to the succeeding ventures². Bh. proclaims his sovereignty at three points of the sea-shore, at the Sindhu and at a cave in the Veyaddha mountains. At the two latter places he gains a magic fleece (camma-rayaṇa) (2) and the rod (3) and by the former serving him as a ship he crosses the stream. The people of the Avāḍa-Cilāya are assisted by the Nāgakumāra causing a tempest to rage over the headquarters for seven days which Bh., however, is able to resist by means of his magic umbrella (4) and the crown-jewel (5), and the Av.-C. surrender. Further acquisitions made in this district are : the prototype of all measures of capacity (kāgiṇī)³ (6), a spouse (7), and a sword (8). On the Gaṅgā Bh. receives 9 objects of priceless value (nihi, Ṭhāṇ. 448b ; Jambudd. 256b). Then there follows the ceremonial entry into Viṇiyā. The imperial crown-treasures equally include the general (seṇāvai), the chamberlain (gāhāvai), the architect (vaḍḍhai), the domestic chaplain (purohiya), horse and elephant (9 to 14). After a long reign he performs the act of purging called apuvva-karaṇa (§ 183), obtains the Kevala-cognition (§ 81) and enters the Nirvāṇa on the Aṭṭhāvaya mountain. This career is typical of all grand-sovereigns, for Ṭhāṇ. 298a says that they all gain the 14 crown-jewels. They are all considered to be animate (§ 101) as we know from Indian dramatic plays a.o. Apart from being distinguished by their names (Samav. 152b) the 12 cakkavaṭṭi are also distinguished by their bodily size¹, but this they share with the baladeva and vāsudeva on the one hand and with the titthagara on the other. Their period, too, is the dūsama-susamā with the exception of Bharaha who already lived in the susama-dūsamā as did the 1st Titthagara. But there are still other relations existing between the two species. The 5th to the 7th grand-sovereigns came to be the 16th to the 18th titthagara, and of the latter the first was actually an emperor (Samav. 42b), even though he is not listed as such a one.