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Rishabhayan : The Story of the First King
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About the book
The story of Tirthankara Rishabha has passed down generations of Jains. Acharya Mahapragya, the tenth Acharya of the Jain Swetambar Terapanth, presents it to us in a composition of 2,000 verses. Tracing the evolution of human civilization as it grew from a society based on need to one attached to material possessions, the epic depicts the search for truth and the role of renunciation and sacrifice in it. As the first king, Rishabha does his primary duty of ensuring the well-being of his subjects. But then one spring morning, a small thought on the withering away of flowers triggers deep reflection in him: Is there more to life than reigning over a kingdom? To discover the meaning of life, he renounces his kingdom and wanders up to the Himalayas, thus introducing the idea of monkhood. With enlightenment comes the realization that all living beings have a soul that is indestructible and permanent and that true happiness lies in freedom from all attachment. Thus evolve the pillars of Jainism based on self-introspection and non-violence. Capturing the subtle dilemmas of the human soul caught in the mesh of existence, this translation by eminent translator Sudhamahi Regunathan offers the classic in a contemporary idiom, something to read aloud and savour for both the general reader and the scholar alike.
Pages: 340
Available in: Paperback
Language: English
Acharya Mahapragya
Acharya Mahapragya is one of the most celebrated Jain thinkers of the world and is the tenth Acharya of the Jain Shwetambar Terapanth sect. Born in 1920 in a village in Rajasthan, he became a monk at the age of ten. A multidimensional personality and a renowned scholar of Indian and Western philosophy and religion, Acharya Mahapragya is a prolific writer and has been called a ‘modern Vivekananda’. He has traversed more than 100,000 km on foot and visited 10,000 villages to spread the message of non-violence. He was honoured with the Communal Harmony Award in 2004 for his contribution in this field.