________________
ÄCHÄRYA STHULIBHADRA
og Ächärya Sthulibhadra
The kingdom of Magadha, in the state of Bihar, possessed a long and rich history. During Mahävir's time it was ruled by King Shrenik of the Shishunäg dynasty. This dynasty ended with the death of Shrenik's great grandson Udayi. Magadha then passed into the hands of the Nanda dynasty, where Dhanänand succeeded nine generations of his family's rule. This was around 300 BC or about 200 years after Lord Mahävir's nirvana.
ly, he had no idenged to one of his predoe was very greedy. He h
Dhanänand was far from being a just and noble ruler as he was very greedy. He had heard a legend about some hidden treasure that belonged to one of his predecessors and was desperate to get his hands on it. Unfortunately, he had no idea where this treasure was hidden. However, he knew that his old Prime Minister Shaktäl, who had served his father, had knowledge of the treasure's whereabouts. Dhanänand tried everything he could to locate the treasure, but Shaktäl refused to provide any information about the whereabouts of this treasure. The king then forced him to retire and the administration was entrusted to the other ministers.
Shaktäl was a wise, knowledgeable, and highly respected person in the kingdom. Many scholars and high ranking officials admired him and were eager to consult him on important matters. However, they avoided communicating with him because they feared that the king would not approve of this.
Shaktäl had seven daughters and two sons, Sthulibhadra and Shriyak. Sthulibhadra was smart, brilliant, and handsome, but not very ambitious. In Patliputra, the capital city of Magadha, there lived a beautiful young dancer named Kosha. From a very young age, Sthulibhadra would watch her perform. They fell in love with each other. His family disapproved of the relationship. However, Sthulibhadra was deeply in
102 Kumar Sthulibhadra enjoying Kosha's dance
47
JAIN STORY BOOK For Private Personal use only
Jan Education international
w
alnelimy org