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it was difficult for him to bear the accidental kicking by the monks, and his bed and body smeared by the dirt. He felt that he could not bear that sort of a miserable life and decided to give up the life of a monk.
In the morning, he went to Lord Mahävir to seek permission to return home. Mahävir was aware of the discomforts that Meghakumar had faced the previous night and told him, “Meghakumär, you do not remember, but let me describe to you the discomforts that you faced during your previous life."
"In your previous life you were Meruprabha, the king of elephants. Once there was a terrible forest fire
MEGHAKUMÄR
Meghakumăr in the previous life as an elephant saving a rabbit's life
which you escaped narrowly. You decided to make a shelter that all the animals could use in case of another fire. You cleared up a vast stretch of land by removing all the plants, bushes, and trees. You also weeded out the grass that grew there."
"Once again there was a wild fire in the forest. All the animals came running and took refuge on that stretch. You were also there. During that time, you raised your foot to scratch your body because of an itch. At that very moment, a rabbit jumped into that space. As you tried to put your foot down, you saw the rabbit jump into that space, and you decided to hold your foot up in order to save the rabbit. The fire raged for two and a half days during which you continued to hold your foot up out of compassion for the rabbit."
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"At the end of the fire as the animals retreated, you tried to lower your foot. It was so stiff by then that you could not keep your balance and fell down. You felt agonizing pain and could not get up. You spent three days and nights suffering from severe pain. Ultimately you died, and in your next birth you were
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95
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| SR No. | 201063 |
| Book Title | Meghkumar |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | JAINA Education Committee |
| Publisher | JAINA Education Committee |
| Publication Year | 2010 |
| Total Pages | 3 |
| Language | English |
| Classification | Article, Jaina_Education, & 0_Jaina_education_Story |
| File Size | 1 MB |