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swing, some rested on bed of thorns, some would have five types of fire around them, some always squatted, and some continuously took bath.
HUMBLING A HERMIT
Parsvakumāra was now sixteen years old. One day he went for an outing in the jungle with his friends. On the banks of the Ganges he saw a hermit. That hermit was none other than his maternal grand father Mahipāla who became a hermit after his wife died. The prince saw that he was doing the five-fire penance. There were four pyres burning on his four sides, the fifth fire being the scorching sunrays over his head. The prince got down from his elephant and went to stand near the hermit. He did not even care to offer greetings. This appeared very discourteous to the hermit. He thought – “I am a venerable hermit, much senior in age, and even his grandfather. This conceited prince fails to show even the courtesy of a proper greeting.” And he got very angry.
Just then the prince said, “You are very proud of your evil penance but you don't know how many beings are destroyed by your ignorant activity. See here, a pair of snakes is burning with this log of wood.” The hermit got up in anger and split the log with an axe. A scorched pair of snakes fell from the log. Seeing this the hermit left with anger and shame. Parśvanātha recited Ņamokāra Mantra and gave a sermon to the dying pair of snakes. The soothing words inspired them to breathe their last with equanimity enduring the intolerable agony. They reincarnated as Dharaṇendra and Padmāvatī, the king and queen of gods of the glorious Nāgakumāra species. ·
On the other hand hermit Mahipāla, peeved at the insult, died in anger and with evil thoughts and reincarnated as Sambara diety of the Yyantara species.
DETACHMENT AND RENUNCIATION
Parsvakumāra was now thirty years old but still unmarried. He had refused to marry. One day while he was sitting in the assembly an emissary of king Jaisena of Ayodhya came and presented him a horse from Bhagal722 State and some other gifts. The prince accepted the
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Jain Education International
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| SR No. | 001605 |
| Book Title | Introduction to Jainism and its Culture |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | Balbhadra Jain |
| Publisher | Kundkund Gyanpith Indore |
| Publication Year | 2002 |
| Total Pages | 334 |
| Language | English |
| Classification | Book_English, Religion, & Culture |
| File Size | 21 MB |