Nails in Ears Last Calamity

Author(s): JAINA Education Committee
Publisher: JAINA Education Committee
Catalog link: https://jainqq.org/explore/201062/1

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STORIES DURING BHAGAWAN MAHAVIR'S LIFE 22 Nails in the Ears - Last Calamity Twelve years of meditation and penance passed with great success for Lord Mahavir. His life was exemplary. He put forth unsurpassable examples of truth, non-violence, forgiveness, compassion, fearlessness, yoga and true knowledge. In the thirteenth year he faced another calamity. Near the village of Shammani he stood in a meditation posture. Just as at the beginning of his asceticism, he met a cowherd who left his oxen in the care of Lord Mahavir. The cowherd went into the village and returned a little later. The oxen had drifted away while grazing. Not finding his oxen, he asked, "Ascetic, where are my oxen?" A cowherd poking wooden pegs in Bhagawan Mahavir's ears Mahavir was in deep meditation and unaware of all this. The cowherd asked again, and once again he did not get any response. He was irritated and shouted, "You hypocrite! Are you deaf, don't you hear anything?" Mahavir still did not respond. The cowherd became very angry, "You pretender, it seems that both your ears are useless. Wait a minute; I will fix your ears." He picked long nail like thorns from a nearby shrub and pierced the ears of Mahavir deeply by hammering the thorns in. Even such excruciating agony did not move Mahavir from his meditation; neither did it evoke any feeling of anger or aversion in him. 92 JAIN STORY BOOK Jain bucatiormational For Private Personal Use Only www. ainelibrary on

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NAILS IN THE EARS - LAST CALAMITY Completing his meditation he went to the village for alms. He arrived at the door of a trader named Siddhartha. A doctor friend of the trader was sitting with him. Both of them gave food to Mahavir-swami with due respect The doctor told Siddhartha, "Friend, the face of this monk has a divine glow but there is a shade of tiredness too. Some inner pain is visible in his eyes. I feel this great sage suffers from some inner agony." Siddhartha replied, "Friend, if such a great sage suffers from some kind of pain, we should immediately go with him and treat him." Bhagawan Mahavir calmly bearing the pain while the pegs are being removed After taking alms Mahavir-swami returned. The doctor and Siddhartha followed him to the place where Mahavir-swami rested. During examination the doctor found the thorns stuck in his ears. Seeing this, they arranged for the necessary instruments and medicines. They used some medicated oil and tongs and pulled out the thorns. This caused such unbearable agony to Mahavir that an anguished cry was forced out of him. The doctor dressed the wound with some coagulant. Mahavir continued to stand there calm and quiet in deep meditation. In each incident of difficulty, we see the conquest of Mahavir's soul and mind over his physical pain and suffering. His meditation and penance purified his soul. It helped him to separate himself from perishable and mortal worldly things, and concentrate on the liberation of his immortal soul. 93 JAIN STORY BOOK wwwainelibrary.org