________________ KING SHRENIK AND QUEEN CHELNA The king narrated the whole incident to his queen Chelna. The queen felt very sorry for Yamadhar and took the king back to Yamadhar's place of meditation. Because of the dead snake, ants and other insects were crawling all over the monk's body, but the monk did not even stir. The couple witnessed the limits of human endurance. The queen gently removed the ants and the snake from the monk's body and cleaned his wounds. She applied sandalwood paste. Sometime later Yamadhar opened his eyes and blessed both of them. UN Jain monk enduring pain while in meditation The monk did not distinguish between the king who had caused him pain and the queen who had alleviated his pain. King Shrenik was very impressed and became convinced that Jain monks were truly free from attachment and aversion. Thus, King Shrenik along with queen Chelna became devoted to Jainism and Bhagawan Mahavir. If one cannot perform a comparable level of penance and devotion, one should not doubt the willpower and devotion of someone who is more religious. In fact, one should be very respectful of such individuals. It is important to serve and support these people rather than cause them pain and suffering. This will help to avoid the accumulation of bad karma. Learn to accept and appreciate virtues in others. 109 Jain STORY BOOK For Private & Personal Use Only Jain Education International wwwainelibrary.org
