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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 Mahävir deeply by hammering the thorns in.
NAILS IN THE EARS
Even such excruciating agony did not move Mahävir from his meditation or evoke any feeling of anger or aversion in him.
Completing his meditation, he went to the village for alms. He arrived at the door of a trader named Siddhärtha. A doctor was sitting with him. Both of them gave food to Mahävir swämi with due respect.
The doctor told Siddhärtha, "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 to him and treat him."
Bhagawän Mahävir calmly bearing the pain as the thorns are removed
After taking alms, Mahävir swämi returned. The doctor and Siddhärtha followed him to the place where Mahävir swämi 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 Bhagawan Mahavir that an anguished cry was forced out of him. The doctor dressed the wound with some coagulant. Mahävir continued to sit there calm and quiet in deep meditation.
The reason Mahävir swami had to bear this calamity was because of what he did as Triprushtha Väsudev (birth no. 18). At that time, he liked to sleep while listening to music. He told his servant to stop the music once he fell asleep.
JAIN STORY BOOK
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