Unless their is some extraordinary and celestial hidden power protecting day and night, how could these temples and their purity remain unpolluted and its whole atmosphere well-to-do at and ever pleasing?
The demi-god Kapardi is always looking after this holy hill.
Oh Gurudev ! who is this Kapardi Yaksha?
Acharya Vajra Swami once met a drunkard and with sweet words showed him the horrors of drinking liquor. The drunkard took an oath and learned Navkar by heart.
One day seeing the liquor he was ready to break that oath but it happened that a hawk was flying in sky with its prey caught in its beak. The prey was noneother than a serpent. It was oozing venom….
The jar underneath was open, so the venom dropped in it making it poisonous.
As he took a sip, the poison began to shatter his brains. Remembering his own offence of violating his oath, he was very much grieved. Begging pardon, he surrendered himself to the holy hill Palitana and reciting Navkar, he passed away and became Kapardi yaksha.
Some where it is said that Kapardi Vankar took an oath of ‘Gantasi’ which means that in the morning we give a knot to our own kerchief or any cloth. Then whenever we wish to drink water or eat food, we untie it and after drinking water or eating food we again tie a knot. Doing ‘Gantasi’ for one month, one achieves virtue of 27 fasts.
One day Kapardi’s wit was at end. The knot was given to some silken cloth and now it became hard to untie it.
But the man was firm with his oath. Thirsty and hungry, he died and due to firmness in oath, he became demigod New Kapardi of Palitana.
The Old Kapardi was anti- Jain. He killed pilgrims and scattered blood and bones on this holy hill.
Vajra swami and the whole Jain Community were seeking a way out.
At that time, the new Kapardi arrived there and begged to know the problem.
Hearing it he suggested Oh Gurudev ! I am ready to give combat to the older Kapardi. But being a new deity, I am weaker than him.
The only possibility is if the whole Jain community sit here in meditation that can refill my power to fight with him. A huge crowd of Jains sat in meditation. The new Kapardi fought fiercely and won victory. The old one ran away. Every one rejoiced and the new Kapardi was nominated and from then on, every pilgrim offers here a coconut and says to him Jai Jinendra.
Jai jinendra. I have no comments for this article. But only one mistake of the spelling has been observed in the first line. It should be there and not their.