Tirthankar Mahavir

SR No.: 020834
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Kumarpal Desai
Publisher: Jaybhikkhu Sahitya Trust
Publication Year: 2003
Total Pages: 235
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 57 MB

Page 59

Acharya Shri Kailassagarsun Gyanmandir
before they renounce the world. The shower of donations continues until the day of their renunciation. After that, they renounce the world and embark upon the spiritual path of a Jaina ascetic.
Vardhamana followed this tradition. He started offering his possessions in donation. To be a true ascetic, renunciation of all possessions is a necessary prerequisite. He should have nothing that belongs to him. How can he, who does not consider his body even to be his own, possess wealth, jewellery or property? One who renounces everything is a true ascetic. One does not become an ascetic by merely shaving one's head nor by having matted hair. It is only by giving up all possessions that one starts on the path of asceticism.
Vardhamana donated wealth to those who were destitute of wealth, clothes to those who needed clothes, so on and so forth. He offered, in charity, gold to some and jewellery to others. He gave in donation whatever the donee wanted. Every morning for three hours he gave away one crore and eight lac gold coins.
What wonderful donation ! Vardhamana, the donor, felt compassion for the donee. There was not the slightest feeling of regret when he was donating - either at the time of offering donation or afterwards. There was no expectation of reward or gain. There was mere wish of renouncing possessions and thereby helping the recipients in their righteous development. Donation was beneficial to both the donor and the donees. The influence of donations offered by Vardhamana was such that the greed of the recipients faded away and their temptations disappeared. Those who came there to receive donations did so because they wanted to receive the token-donations from the holy hands of the revered Vardhamana as also as this would aid in their own purification.
Thus, those, who arrived there to receive donations, received whatever they wanted from the holy hands of the supreme donor and returned with great satisfaction. People rushed there from everywhere to receive donations. Among them were masters and meek servants, the wise
and the foolish, the beautiful and the ugly, the rich and the poor, the strong and the weak, the healthy and the diseased, the fortunate and the unfortunate, the peasants and the artisans, the writers and the artists, the beggars and the orphans. King Nandivardhana had established free kitchens for the masses. The total amount of Vardhamana's token-donations came to three hundred eighty eight crore gold coins.
Varsidana
58