Essay name: Vasudevahindi (cultural history)
Author:
A. P. Jamkhedkar
Affiliation: Savitribai Phule Pune University / Deccan College Post Graduate and Research Institute Pune
This essay is an English study of the Vasudevahindi reflecting cultural history and traditions of the life of people in ancient and medieval India during the 6th century. The Vasudevahimdi is a romantic and religious tale that revolves around the wanderings of Vasudeva (a former Jain monk) and religious teachings in the guise of love stories, a common theme of poetry in Jainism.
Chapter 5 - Religion and Philosophy
122 (of 153)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
Felicitation at the time of birth : 576 One of the important events in the life of a
Tirthkara was the celebration by gods at the time of
h
his birth. When born, a Tirthakara is taken to mt. Meru
by Indra, and is anointed there on the ai pamdukambalasila.
The felicitation has been described in the
Vh(F), in details in the case of Usabha鹿 and in summary
the
in the case of, remaining three Tirthakaras虏.
Usabha, when born, was first greeted by the
fiftysix Dis膩kumaris referred to above. They performed
the jatakamma sacrament, bathed him, kindled fire and
sang auspicious songs. Then came Sakka, the sahassanayana,
and took him away to mt.Meru. Before removing Usaha from
his mother's bed, Sakka deposited a replica of Usabha by
her side. On the sacred a茂pamdukambala slab Usabha is
anointed and worshipped by Accu茂mda as also by other gods.
After this ceremony, he is taken back to his mother by
Sakka.
Such a description of the nativity of Usabha
or any other Tirthakara is not be found in the canons.
1. Vh(P), 159鈥�61.
2. Ibid., 340-44"
