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The Glory of Contentment and the Wise Abhayakumar
Yoga Shastra, Second Light, Verse 114, The Content Abhayakumar:
In ancient times, India was adorned with a prosperous region, the city of Rajagriha, which was embellished with a vast fort. There reigned King Prasenajit, who was as deep as the ocean, attracting all kings with his virtues. He was a devout Shravak, a follower of the Jain faith, who practiced Anuvratas, as devoted as a bee to Lord Parshvanath. He had many sons, including Shrenik, who surpassed even the celestial beings in strength, brilliance, and radiance. Among all these sons, who was worthy of taking over the reins of the kingdom? To test them, the king one day had all his sons seated for a meal and served them kheer (sweet rice pudding). As they began to eat, the wise king released ferocious hunting dogs with gaping mouths like tigers. As the dogs approached, all the princes except Shrenik jumped up from their plates and rushed out. Shrenik, however, continued to feed the dogs small portions of kheer from his plate, and by the time the dogs had finished licking it up, he had finished his own kheer. Seeing this, the king thought, "This prince alone will be able to subdue enemies by any means and enjoy this earth." King Prasenajit was very pleased with Shrenik.
One day, King Prasenajit again tested his sons by giving them sealed laddoos (sweet balls) in baskets and water in clay pots with their mouths sealed, and told them, "Open these baskets without opening the lids or breaking the seals, and drink water from these pots without making holes in them." Except for Shrenik, none of the princes could eat the laddoos or drink the water. No matter how strong a man is, what he can do with intelligence, he cannot do with strength. Shrenik shook the basket and made the laddoos crumble through the holes, and ate them. Similarly, water was dripping from the bottom of the pot, which he collected in a silver cup and drank. What is impossible for the intelligence of a quick-witted person? Seeing Shrenik's intellectual skill, the king was very pleased.
One day, a fire broke out in Prasenajit's palace. He then said to all his princes, "Take whatever you can from my palace. Whatever you take will be yours." Hearing this, the other princes took precious jewels and came out, but Shrenik only took a drum for beating. The king asked Shrenik, "Son! What is this, and why did you bring it?" Shrenik replied, "This is a drum, the first sign of the victory of kings. The sound of this drum makes the victory march of kings successful. Therefore, my lord! This drum, which signifies the victory of kings, should be protected like its soul."
Seeing Shrenik pass the test, King Prasenajit, acknowledging his sharp intelligence, affectionately gave him the second name "Bhambasar." King Prasenajit did not consider the other princes worthy of ruling, as they considered themselves worthy of the throne. However, King Prasenajit pretended to ignore Shrenik, wanting to test his intelligence further. He gave the other princes kingdoms in different countries. But he gave nothing to Shrenik, thinking that this entire kingdom would eventually be his.
After this, like a young elephant emerging from the forest, Shrenik, filled with pride, left his city, seeing his father's attitude, and reached the city of Venatat. As he entered the city, he sat in the shop of a wealthy merchant, as if he were the embodiment of prosperity. That day, there was a festival in the city, so there was a long queue of customers at the merchant's shop, buying fine clothes and fragrant substances related to angarags (robes). The merchant was overwhelmed by the large crowd. So, Shrenik quickly helped the customers by tying up bundles and giving them their purchases. Due to Shrenik's influence, the merchant made a lot of money that day. Truly, with a virtuous man, wealth follows him even in a foreign land. Seeing this, the merchant asked with pleasure, "Whose virtuous guest are you today?" The prince said, "Yours!" The merchant
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