Camara Story
Summary
The article "Camara Story" is extracted from S. III U. 2 of the Bhagavatl Sitra, Volume II of the English Edition, released on April 4 for Mahavir Jayanti, and published by Jain Bhawan. The text recounts the tale of Purana, a wealthy householder in the village of Bebhela in Bharatavarsa, on the isle of Jambu-dvipa, located in the lower range of the Vindhya hills. Purana becomes a heretical monk of the Damama order, practicing severe austerities, including a four-pot begging bowl and a month-long fast missing all sixty meals. After twelve years, he attains rebirth as Camara, the Indra of the Asuras, in the metropolis of Camaracanca in the Saudharmakalpa. Camara, endowed with five attainments, uses his avadhi knowledge to observe Sramana Bhagavan Mahavira, who is practicing mahapratima under an Asoka tree in Sumsumarapura. Desiring to dislodge Sakra, the Indra of the gods, Camara seeks Mahavira's support and obtains a weapon named Parigha-ratna. He transforms his body using vaikriya-samudghata, assumes a form stretching up to a limited number of yojanas, and then a terrifying form of one lakh yojanas. He travels through the sub-human world to the Saudharma-kalpa, enters the Sudharma Hall, and confronts Sakra, striking his thunder-bolt and issuing threats. Sakra, enraged, hurls his thunder-bolt at Camara. Camara falls terrified near Mahavira's stone slab, pleading for refuge. Sakra, realizing through his avadhi knowledge that Camara could not have reached the Saudharmakalpa without the support of a Jina or an advanced soul, rushes back, catches the thunder-bolt, and returns to Mahavira to beg forgiveness. Sakra then reassures Camara of his safety. Deeply humiliated, Camara returns to Camaracanca, acknowledges Mahavira's grace in his survival, and, along with his Samanika gods, pays homage to Mahavira. The story concludes with the assertion that Camara will eventually be liberated in the Mahavideha region after a life-span of one sagara.
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Conclusion
This narrative from the Bhagavati Sutra illustrates the supreme spiritual power of Sramana Bhagavan Mahavira, who remains unharmed when Sakra, the Indra of the gods, hurls a thunderbolt at the Asura king Camara. The story demonstrates that even the most powerful celestial beings, like Camara, require the support of a Jina, a sacred shrine, or an advanced soul to ascend to the highest heavens. Camara’s subsequent defeat and humiliation underscore the vulnerability of Asuras when they attempt to challenge the established divine order without such support. Ultimately, the tale highlights the transformative potential of Mahavira’s grace, as Camara, deeply humbled, abandons his hostile intentions and attains a great divine fortune, setting the stage for his eventual liberation in Mahavideha. The account serves as a profound testament to the protective and elevating power of Jain spiritual authority.