STORIES

Kalikund Tirth

There was a famous dense forest named Kadambari full of wild and violent beasts of many species near situated by the city named Campa.

There was a very lofty mountain named as Kali in that forest of. There was a lake named Kunda in the valley of that mountain.

The valley came to be known as Kali-Kunda by their association, but it became a holy place by the purifying lotus-feet of Lord Parsvanatha.

Now long ago there was a dwarf - a short man in certain city . King and other people laughed at him whenever and wherever they found him.

That foolish man became very sad and with a desire to die he tried to hang himself on a tree.

He was stopped and told by a well-established Jain householder friend, "O blessed one ! Why do you try to die in vain ?"

If you wish for fortune, health and pleasing personality, observe austerity and religious practices instructed by Lord Jinesvara.

Saying thus, the Jain householder friend Supratistha took him to his preceptor and made him hear sermons. He caused in him pure faith in God and preceptor and ultimately made him the best of Jain householders.

Then he observed austerity of various types for a long days and decided to be tall physically.

Then that dwart died in the forest and was reborn as a strong leader of the elephants known as Mahidhara.

Once Lord Parsvanatha, in disguise, wandering on the earth reached the same lake in the forest and indulged in the Kayotsarga meditation.

At that time the elephant came to the lake to drink water and, on seeing the Lord of the three worlds Parsvanatha, he remembered his previous life (Birth).

Oh ! I have become a beast by discarding religion ignorantly ! Now let me make my life meaningful by adoring God.

Thinking thus, that elehant adored Lor with lotus bunches, practised fasting and was reincarnated among very rich semi divine gods called Vyantara.

Karakandu the King of Champa city, got astonished on hearing the whole story.

As King Karakandu came over there with a great zest, Lord Parsvanatha had started wandering. So he was extremely disappointed.

Saying, "How Lord Jinendra's vision can be feasible to the wnetched people ?" he began to slander himself and praisea the elephant.

The King got constructed a very great and grand temple on the same site and respectfully placed Lord Parsvanatha's statue of nine feet in it.

Some say that at that time Lord Parsvanatha's idol of nine feet emerged out by grace of Dharanendra.

King Karkandu being pleased, bowed and adored the idol respectfully and placed it in the temple got built by him.

That Vyantara god was granting all the desires of all the people in the temple. Hence forth that place came to be known as a holy place on the earth.

King Karakandu, performing worship, dramas and other festivals with whole hearted devotion and pure mind, became one of the best worshipping householder devotee.

That Vyantara god also worshipping bowing to the deity and enlogising the idol will gradually be Liberated. Therefore O blessed souls, you too worship Lord Jinesvara's.