MAA RAJUL DE

About Maa Rajul De:
About 5000 years ago, by the time of Mahabharat, Ugrasen was the king of
Junagadh, a kingdom situated at the foot of Mount Girnar in Saurashtra currently
renamed state of Gujarat. By his wife Dharini he had a daughter born on the hindi
month of ‘Shravan Shukla Teej’, who was named RAJIMATI. She was popularly
known as RAJUL. She grew to be a very beautiful and graceful young girl. Many
princes and other promising youths were eager to marry her.
At that time, Yadav clan had mostly settled on the bank of Yamuna. Mathura and
Shauripuri in the present western UP were their major centres of concentration. King
Andhkarishni was the ruler of Shauripuri. He has ten sons of which eldest was
Samudravijay and youngest Basudev.
By his wife Shivadevi, prince Samudravijay had a son named Nemi Kumar, who was
born sometimes before Mahabharat. When he was in the womb of his mother, she
had dreamt of series of black jewels called Arishta. He is therefore also known as
Arishtanemi. He was a cousin and close associate of Lord Shri Krishna, born to
prince Basudev. youngest son of King Andhkarishni.
When Rajmati became major. King Ugrasen started to seek a suitable groom for her.
That was the case for Nemi Kumar also. Satyabhama, wife of Lord Krishna was the
cousin sister of Rajmati. Satyabhama mediated and proposed that Neminath be
married with Rajmati. Ugrasen thereupon sent the offer of Rajmati’s marriage to
Nemi Kumar. This was a welcome proposal for Yadav chiefs. With considerable
efforts of friends and family members, Nemi Kumar was persuaded to accept the
offer.
Everyone was happy by his acceptance since Nemi Kumar and Rajul could make an
ideal couple. The two were then officially engaged and a mutually convenient
auspicious hindi month of ‘Baisak Shukla Navami’ was fixed for their wedding
ceremony.
An elegantly decorated wedding party set off from Dwarka with the handsome Nemi
Kumar as the bridegroom. Large number of people had joined the party because
wedding ceremony was going to be gorgeous. Many of them were also keen to climb
Mount Girnar.
For king Ugrasen, wedding of his beloved daughter was a once in life time occasion.
He had therefore made elaborate arrangements for making it as brilliant as possible.
On the way also, adequate arrangements were made for the fun and food of the
bridegroom party.
When the party came in the vicinity of Mount Girnar and camped on the outskirts of
Junagadh. They were appropriately received by Ugrasen and leading men of the
city. It was a fine day.
Weather was pleasant and cool sweet wind was blowing from Girnar. Everyone on
either side was in rejoicing mood and was eager to watch the longed for wedding
ceremony. Instructions were given for preparing tasty and delicious food for feasting
of the bridegroom party.

Nemi Kumar too was in the pleasant mood. He was getting ready for the wedding
ceremony. When wedding entourage was on its way to bride’s place, all of a sudden
Nemi Kumar heard some frightful shrieks and crying sounds. On inquiring, he learnt
that it was emanating from birds and animals that were going to be slaughtered for
feasting of his entourage.
He could not bear the idea of so much violence being caused on account of his
wedding. He got pensive and started thinking how to prevent the violence. “Can’t
there be a way of life that would extend peace and security to every living being?” he
asked himself. As he thought deep into the matter, it was clear to him that he should
better explore the way for well being of all.
He could visualize that after marriage he would get too much involved in worldly
affairs. Then it would be hard for him to embark upon any exploration of that type. He
could realize that it was the time for him to explore the truth that would lead to
happiness of every being. He therefore decided to avoid getting married and to
renounce the worldly life.
Everyone on bridegroom’s side was taken aback by his decision. How would they be
in a position to explain his sudden decision to the bridal side? His friends and close
relatives tried to dissuade him from his decision. He had however made up his mind.
Their efforts therefore came to nothing. He calmly explained that it was his mission
to explore bliss for all and they should not come in the way of fulfilling that mission.
Thereupon he renounced everything and started for Girnar lonely and possession
less.
22nd Jain Tirthankar Lord Neminath, as he came to be known thereafter, stayed on
the mountain intensely meditating about the ultimate cause of all unhappiness. He
could realize that ignorance of the true nature of oneself led to wrong perception and
consequent wrong action that resulted in all sorts of miseries and pain. He therefore
dwelt deep into the matter.
On the 56th day of renunciation, he got fully enlightened and attained Kevalgnan
(omniscience). He then set up afresh the religious order called Tirtha and became
22nd Tirthankar of the present Avasarpini. Thereafter he lived long enough to show
the path of liberation.
At the time Nemikumar decided to renounce, Ugrasen and others were busy making
preparations for the wedding. Rajul was being adorned by her girl friends. They were
making jokes regarding her wedding and subsequent mating. She too was eagerly
waiting for the arrival of her Nemi Kumar as the bridegroom. Then came the news
that Nemi Kumar was not coming for the wedding. No one could understand his
decision to renounce the worldly affairs just before wedding.
Rajimati was in utter grief, as if a calamity had overtaken her all of a sudden. Her
friends tried to console her in that hour of crisis. Some of them started cursing Nemi
Kumar for putting their beloved friend in the awkward position. Some others advised
her to forget the unpredictable Nemi Kumar and look for other suitable match.
Rajimati had however admitted Nemi Kumar in her heart as the husband. She could
not even think of any other person to take his place. She did not like any one to
curse Nemi Kumar. She too had some spiritual orientation.

When she came to know of real cause of Nemi Kumar’s renouncement, she was
able to overcome her grief. She realized that Nemi Kumar had left her for a
commendable purpose. She could appreciate his mission. She thought that the best
way for her was to follow in the footsteps of Nemi Kumar. Therefore she also
renounced the worldly affairs and left for meditation on Girnar, where she attained
spirituality /omniscience and became a JAIN AARYIKA (Sadhvi or say Nun) and later
came to known as MAA RAJUL DE.
Once while Aaryika Rajul was going from one place to another on the mountain, it
started raining heavily. She took shelter under a tree but it was inadequate for the
heavy downpour. By the time the rain stopped, she was totally drenched. She saw a
cave nearby. She went inside, took off her clothes and started twisting them for
drying them.
At that time Rathanemi (younger brother of Nemi Kumar), who had renounced earlier
and who had once aspired to marry Rajimati, was meditating in a corner of that cave.
He opened his eyes at the sound of Rajul’s drying of her clothes. He could not
believe that the girl he had dreamt of was standing there nude. He could not resist
the temptation of getting her. He therefore left the meditation and expressed his love
for her.
Nun Rajul was put in a very embarrassing situation. But she immediately regained
her composure. Covering her body, she told him that his desire was not befitting for
an ascetic like him.
She explained that he should overcome his passion and stick to his renounced life.
His succumbing to his instinct amounted to eating the vomited stuff. Even his brother
Nemi Kumar, to whom she was once engaged, had left her in search for the truth. As
such he should not deviate from the path that he had selected. Then Rathanemi
realized the truth of her words. He begged her pardon and went away. In due course
he attained Kevalgnan (omniscience).
The cave at Girnar, where Rajul attained spirituality is now called ‘Rajul Gufa’ and
the height of Girnar where Neminath attained Kevalgnan (omniscience) is now called
‘Nemi Shikhar’.
Aaryika Rajul also spent the rest of her life as the head of Aaryika/ Sadhvi (nuns)
order of Lord Neminath and in the end attained divinity.
In course of time, Aaryika Rajul in her mission to spread Jainism in masses came to
Fatehpur Shekawati in Rajasthan and stayed under a Bojhal Tree near Jain Chhatari
(Loharon Ka Mohalla) at Station Road, near Bawari Gate Bus Stand, and in due
course of time left for her divine abode. A temple was constructed on the place
where her dead body was laid to peace. This temple is still there and called MAA
RAJUL DE DHAM (Saraogi Sati Mandir). Another temple has also been constructed
at the site near Bojhal tree called Maa Bojhal De ka Darbar.
In the main Maa Rajul sati temple two pots are placed in the main dias, one of which
signifies Lord Neminath and other Maa Rajul De.

Bojhal tree has a special significance- it has two branches one full of thorns and
another without any thorn, which signifies non-violence of Jain religion.
There is large presence of devotees and followers of Maa Rajul De in Rajasthan
among sects of Garg Gotra with titles of Saraogi, Ramsisaria, Jain, Sikaria, Pansari,
Jatia, Modi, Dhanawat etc who worship Maa Rajul De as their Kuldevi say Family
DIETY. These communities have migrated at several places in India and abroad but
still has good faith in MAA RAJUL DE. Whenever they visit native places in
Rajasthan or have any birth or marriage in their families, they visit the temple to seek
blessing of MAA. The temple has become pilgrimage site for devotees of Maa Rajul
De.