वासुपूज्यनाथ भगवान का परिचय
पुष्करार्ध द्वीप के पूर्व मेरू की ओर सीता नदी के दक्षिण तट पर वत्सकावती नाम का देश है। उसके अतिशय प्रसिद्ध रत्नपुर नगर में पद्मोत्तर नाम का राजा राज्य करता था। किसी दिन मनोहर नाम के पर्वत पर युगन्धर जिनेन्द्र विराजमान थे। पद्मोत्तर राजा वहाँ जाकर भक्ति, स्तोत्र, पूजा आदि करके अनुपे्रक्षाओं का चिन्तवन करते हुए दीक्षित हो गया। ग्यारह अंगों का अध्ययन करके दर्शनविशुद्धि आदि भावनाओं की सम्पत्ति से तीर्थंकर नामकर्म का बन्ध कर लिया जिससे महाशुक्र विमान में महाशुक्र नामका इन्द्र हुआ।
गर्भ और जन्म
इस जम्बूद्वीप के भरत क्षेत्र में चम्पानगर में ‘अंग' नाम का देश है जिसका राजा वसुपूज्य था और रानी जयावती थी। आषाढ़ कृष्ण षष्ठी के दिन रानी ने पूर्वोक्त इन्द्र को गर्भ में धारण किया और फाल्गुन कृष्ण चतुर्दशी के दिन पुण्यशाली पुत्र को उत्पन्न किया। इन्द्र ने जन्म उत्सव करके पुत्र का ‘वासुपूज्य' नाम रखा। जब कुमार काल के अठारह लाख वर्ष बीत गये, तब संसार से विरक्त होकर भगवान जगत के यथार्थस्वरूप का विचार करने लगे।
तप
तत्क्षण ही देवों के आगमन हो जाने पर देवों द्वारा निर्मित पालकी पर सवार होकर मनोहर नामक उद्यान में गये और फाल्गुन कृष्ण चतुर्दशी के दिन छह सौ छिहत्तर राजाओं के साथ स्वयं दीक्षित हो गये।
केवलज्ञान और मोक्ष
छद्मस्थ अवस्था का एक वर्ष बीत जाने पर भगवान ने कदम्ब वृक्ष के नीचे बैठकर माघ शुक्ल द्वितीया के दिन सायंकाल में केवलज्ञान को प्राप्त कर लिया। भगवान बहुत समय तक आर्यखंड में विहार कर चम्पानगरी में आकर एक वर्ष तक रहे। जब आयु में एक माह शेष रह गया, तब योग निरोध कर रजतमालिका नामक नदी के किनारे की भूमि पर वर्तमान चम्पापुरी नगरी में स्थित मन्दारगिरि के शिखर को सुशोभित करने वाले मनोहर उद्यान में पर्यंकासन से स्थित होकर भाद्रपद शुक्ला चतुर्दशी के दिन चौरानवे मुनियों के साथ मुक्ति को प्राप्त हुए।
In his previous incarnation Lord Vasupujya's soul was King Padmottar. King Padmottar ruled over Mangalavati town of Ardhapushkar island. He was a person devoted to spiritual pursuits. In later part of his life he took Diksha from Acharya Vajranabh. Reducing the tarnish of Karma by penance and spiritual practices he earned the Tirthankar-nam-and-gotra-karma and incarnated as a god in the Pranat dimension.
Vasupujya was the king of Champa town in the Bharat sub-continent. His queen was Jaya Devi. Besides being a great warrior King Vasupujya was a compassionate and charitable person. The queen too was benevolent and she inspired the king in his charitable activities. The being that was Padmottar after completing his age in Pranant dimension descended into the womb of queen Jaya Devi.
It was morning time and sun was shining brightly over Ganga River. On the third floor of a beautiful palace near the shore of Ganga, was King Vasupujya sitting in his deep thoughts when Queen Jaya Devi came to him and expressed her anxiousness to know the meaning of fourteen (sixteen according to Digambar Jain Sect) auspicious dreams she saw early in the morning. King was very happy and explained that these dreams are seen by a women who is about to give birth to a pious soul, a Tirthankara. On the fourteenth day of the Falgun Krishna month of the Hindu calendar, queen Jaya Devi gave birth to a son.
It is said that when the queen was pregnant, the king of gods Indra came to convey his veneration to the future Tirthankar and his mother. As Indra is also known as Vasu, the new born was named Vasupujya (venerated by Vasu).
As Vasupujya grew, so grew his inherent detachment and apathy for mundane affairs. He had no attraction for the regal splendor and grandeur. When he became young his parents wanted him to marry but he declined. He even conveyed that he had no intention of ascending the throne. In spite of all persuasions from his family members, he renounced the worldly life and became a Shraman on the fifteenth day of he dark half of the month of Phalgun along with six hundred other persons.
Omniscience and Nirvana
After becoming a saint, Vasupujya went roaming from place to place spreading the message of peace and religion. On the second day of Magh Shukla, he came to the same place where he started his religious journey, under the same Patal Tree. And during meditation all the ghati Karmas destroyed and he attained Kevala Gyana. The second day a Samavsharan was organized in Champa town itself and light of knowledge was spreading all over. Bhagvan Vasupujya came to Dwarka. King of Dwarka was Dwiprishtha, brother of Vasupujya ji and his one of the devotees. He came to Vasupujya ji and asked him that why did he had to kill the neighboring king Tarak. On this Bhagvan Vasupujya ji told him that in the past life he was king Parvat and there was a very beautiful girl in your kingdom, Gunmanjari. Your neighbouring king was Vindyashakti who was very powerful and cruel. He asked the girl from you and you refused to do so. He attacked your kingdom and you lost the battle. Being beaten you were very sad and depressed so, you took diksha and went on the path of devotion and meditation. But even then you could not forget and forgive Vindyashakti. So, in the next birth you became what you are today and he became King Tarak. This is why, you killed him.
Hearing all this Dwiprishtha went on the feet’s of Vasupujya and took Diksha from him joined his divine army.
Bhagavan Vasupujya got Nirvana in Champa town on the fourteenth day of the bright half of the month of Ashad (according to Hindu Calendar).