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CHAPTER VIU
HARDSHIP AND FORBEARANCE
Unlike Buddha, there are many thrilling accounts of a number of difficult events experienced by Mahavira in the course of his penances. There are, however, a few such events which happen more or less identically in . the lives of these two great men. To cite an instance, the story of the snake Canda-kausika (Canda-Kausika-udbodhan) in the life of Mahavira and that of Canda-näga (Canda -nāgavijaya) in the life of the Buddha come very near to each other.
Mahavira fixing Caņda-kausika on spiritual path
While wandering from village to village, Mahavira was once on his way to the city of Svetambika. As the way was blocked by a dangerous snake named Canda-Kausika, some people requested him not to go by that way. They said,
"Oh monk! A glance of the sna ke is enough to kill a man. Thousands of men have lost their lives in this manner. This fact is well-known to the travellers and they discard this path as a prohibited one. So, in the interest of your own safety, please do not take this path."
From the day Mahavira was initiated as a monk, he had given up all attachment to the body, and lived on with exclusive reliance on penances. So he never cared to change his course or retrace his step simply because there was some danger or hardship on the way. So, although he gave a patient hearing to all that these men said, he was neither influenced by them, nor did he like to change his course. He walked on at his usual pace. When he had reached near the snake's hole, the sna ke lay in a coil on the surface outside. When Mahāvira stepped into that way, the sna ke had observed it. He was very much surprised. For, it was after a very long time that a human being had
