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NandiSootra
he now peaceful serpen ked curiously from
a
slowly they came
was time for doing pratikraman, considering it to be the proper time, the disciple once again conveyed his advice. The guru turned mad with anger and rushed to hit the disciple. It was dark in the upashraya. The guru collided with a pillar and fell. His skull was fractured and he died on the spot. As he died with anger filled attitude he reincarnated as a Jyotishk god.
Completing his life-span as a god he reincarnated as the son of the rector of the Kanak Khal hermitage. He was named Kaushik. As he was extremely angry by nature, every one started calling him Chandakaushik. Once some boys from Shvetambi city came to visit the hermitage garden. While roaming around they started plucking the colourful and pretty flowers. Chandakaushik warned them not to do so but, as they belonged to the royal family, they did not care for what he said. They even misbehaved with Chandakaushik. He got infuriated, picked up an axe and ran after the boys. The quick and agile boys evaded him and ran away. Chandakaushik chased them but slipped and fell into a ditch. He was injured by the axe and bled to death. Due to extreme anger at the time of death he reincarnated as a giant serpent with venomous gaze.
The incidents of last two births flashed in the memory of the serpent and it realized about the consequences of extreme anger. The feeling of repentance melted its heart. Its inner self became awake. Its mind became tranquil. It touched the pious feet of Bhagavan Mahavir and resolved silently - "Prabhu, since this moment I will never look at anyone all my life. I will not eat anything. I will not drink also." And the now peaceful serpent put its mouth in the hole and lay still.
Next day the cowherds looked curiously from a distance. They saw the greatshraman standing in meditation near the snake-hole. Slowly they came near and saw that the serpent was laying nearby with its mouth in the hole. A crowd gathered. When some of them started throwing stones and pieces of wood, the elders said - "No, this is a serpent god. Do not kill but worship." People started worshipping the snake god by offering milk and sweets. The serpent tolerated all this and remained immobile. Swarms of ants were attracted by the smell of sweets and milk. They started stinging the serpent. With the resolve to cleanse its soul of the sins of the earlier births, the serpent tolerated all these afflictions with equanimity for fifteen days. By then his body was almost completely perforated and it died. Chandakaushik reincarnated as a god in the Sahasrar Kalp. With the help of parinamiki buddhi the serpent got an excellent rebirth.
20. The rhinocerous - After listening to the sermons of ascetics a man accepted the shravak vows but could not properly observe !L them. Later he fell sick and died before atoning for the sins. As a consequence of this fall from the religious conduct he reincarnated as a rhinocerous in a jungle. Because of his cruel nature it killed other animals in the jungle. If any human being happened to come into that jungle it killed them as well.
Once some ascetics were passing through that jungle. The moment the rhino saw them it rushed to kill. The aura of their! Penance and attitude of ahimsa did not allow him to reach them. Failure in his desired act forced him to think about the reasons of this weakness. Gradually his anger was pacified. As a consequence of destruction and suppression of the knowledge veiling karmas he acquired Jatismaran jnana. Knowing about his earlier birth he was filled with self reproach. He started repenting, resolved to fast till death and indulged in pious thoughts. When he
Aagam- 44 - NandiSootra
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Compiled by- Deepratnasagar
