________________
The Bitter Fruit of levying Heavy Taxes
Miyaputta, Vivāga Suya
[The Vivaga Suya (Vipäka Sutra) is counted as the eleventh Anga. Winternitz calls it the text of the ripening of actions. As its name implies, it deals with the consequences or resultants, painful or happy, of past deeds. Its purpose evidently is to discourage indulgence in five sinful deeds and to encourage the practice of five great vows. The first story of Miyaputta teaches us that tyrannising over the subjects by a governor by levying upon them heavy taxes is a great sin leading to hell. The side episode of the blind man also indirectly teaches us the virtue of contentment and not to mind miseries because in this world there are more miserable persons even than we are. ]
At that time and at that period there was a city called Miyagama. Outside of that city of Miyagama there was in a north-easterly direction a park called Candanapayava which was covered with flowers of all the seasons.... There, there was a very old temple resembling Punnabhadda of the Yaksa Suhamma. ... In that Miyagama city there dwelt, at that time, a Ksatriya king named Vijaya. That Ksatriya king Vijaya had a queen named Miya, a woman perfect in every way. ...
That Ksatriya king Vijaya had a son named Miyaputta born of his queen Miya, who was blind by birth, dumb by birth, deaf by birth, lame by birth, ugly by birth and paralytic by birth. That boy had no hands, feet, ears, eyes and nose, but he had a shape of these limbs only. ...
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
