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LIFE OF BHAGAWÄN MAHÄVIR
Chandanbälä
and said, "O Chandkaushik, be enlightened and attain peace of mind. Do not inject the venom of anger in your life.”
During the twelfth year after initiation Bhagawän Mahävir entered the city of Kaushämbi after a long penance. He had decided to accept alms only from a person who fulfilled his following unspoken conditions - He would accept an Urad preparation from the corner of a winnowing basket, given by a person with one leg on the threshold and the other outside, who was a princess turned into a slave, who had a shaven head and whose legs were bound by chains. She must be a chaste woman, performing the penance of Attham (three days of fasting) and should serve him with tears in her eyes. Five months and twentyfive days elapsed, but no donor fulfilled
Bhagawan Mahävir preaching to Chandkaushik
When the cobra met Mahävir's gaze, it felt as if a wave of peace and tranquility had engulfed his inner self. The cobra started contemplating and visualized his past lives (Jätismaran jnän) and realized that it had suffered excruciating pain and degradation due to extreme anger and acute attachment during his previous two births. He was full of repentance. He vowed not to look at anyone for the rest of his life, nor eat or drink anything. He decided to lie still and atone for all his sins committed during the last three births and improve his future.
Bhagawan Mahavir accepting alms from Chandanbälä after
all his conditions are met
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THE FIRST STEP OF JAINISM
ration
