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Nandi Sootra
cele child was these "My fath get free his inspirerelativ
The ascetic applied his parinamiki buddhi and freed his brother from carnal attachments.
15. Vajra Swami - In the Avanti state there was a town named Tumbavan. There lived a young merchant named Dhan-giri who was married to Sunanda, the daughter of merchant Dhanpal. Dhangiri had a desire to become an ascetic, but somehow Sunanda dissuaded him from doing so. Sometime litter Sunanda became pregnant and a pious soul descended into her womb.
When Dhangiri became aware of this he said - "Now you will be able to spend your life with the support of the son you expect. Please don't block my spiritual progress."
Sunanda had to yield before such strong inclination of her husband to renounce the world. She gave her consent to Dhangiri to become an ascetic. Dhangiri went to acharya Simhagiri and got initiated. Sunanda's brother, Arya Samit was also an ascetic disciple of acharya Simhagiri. Soon after this event, acharya Simhagiri left Tumbavan and resumed his itinerant way.
In due course Sunanda gave birth to a brilliant son. When his birth was celebrated a lady looked at him and uttered - "How good it would be if the father of this child was with him instead of being an ascetic."
When these words entered the ears of the infant he acquired Jati-smaran jnana. He thought - "My father has accepted the path of spiritual uplift. I should also do something so that I also get free of the worldly ties and my mother also takes to the path of liberation." These thoughts inspired him to start crying day and night. To make him stop crying his mother and other relatives made all possibleefforts but in vain. In the end Sunanda got irritated with this continuous crying of the child.
Coincidentally just a few days later acharya Simhagiri once again arrived at Tumbavan with his disciples. Arya Samit and Dhangiri prepared to proceed for alms collection in the town. When they sought permission from the acharya, he saw the auspicious signs and commented - "A great boon awaits you. Bring whatever you get as alms."
Searching for food, when the two ascetics arrived at Sunanda's house, she was trying to stop her infant son from crying. Ascetic Dhangiri extended his (1) alms pot. Seeing this, Sunanda was struck with an idea. She at once put the infant in the pot and said - "Revered one, now you look after your son. I am fed up." The onlookers looked agape. The ascetic accepted the alms in presence of all these people, put the pot in his alms bag and left without a word. Every one present was surprised when the child stopped crying as soon as the ascetic turned to leave.
When the ascetics arrived before acharya Simhagiri and he saw the unusually heavy alms bag, he commented - "What is this vajra (hard and heavy rock) like thing you got as alms." Dhangiri brought out the pot with the infant and placed it before his guru. The acharya was pleasantly surprised to see the radiant child and said - "This boy will be a boon to the Jain organization. I name him Vajra."
The child was very young; therefore the responsibility of his care was given to the sangh. As child Vajra grew so grew his talent and brilliance. After sometime had passed, Sunanda sought her child back from the sangh. The elders of the sangh refused on the ground that the boy belonged to some other person. Sunanda returned dejected and started waiting for some opportunity. At last the opportunity came her way when acharya Simhagiri once again came to Tumbavan. As soon as Sunanda got the news of his arrival she went to the acharya and asked him to return Aagam- 44 - Nandi Sootra
~95 - Compiled by- Deepratnasagar
