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PHILOSOPHY OF SOUL
park for meditation. He kept his both the arms upraised. Formerly people used to resort to such sorts of severe meditations but now-a-days such practices are found very rare.
The superintendent of the park informed the king that the omniscient Lord Mahavira had arrived in the park outside the city. So the King made preparations for the Lord's holy sight along with his sons and the rest of the family members. One should cherish full delight while visiting the god and the preceptor and so one must wear fine garments and ornaments on such occasions. This is expected from the house-holders. A king should visit with full pomp and dignity so as to inspire others to proceed to receive the holy sight.
King Shrenika with a long procession set out for the holy sight of the Lord. The procession included many elephants, horses, cavalry, Sumukha and Durmukha led the entire procession. Perhaps they were named so, after their conduct.
They saw the sage pasannachandra engaged in meditation while passing near the park. Then Sumukha said, "Just look at this sage! How deeply he is engaged in meditation. It is very rare to be engaged in such sort of meditation. Only few persons would be able to meditate in such manner. So I offer my best of compliments to him.”
Hearing these words Durmukha said, “Yes, yes, I know that sage well. He is the king of Potanpur. He entrusted the entire burden of his kingdom to his child, but he hardly knows the condition which developed there, in his kingdom later on. His ministers are plotting to usurp his throne. His Queens have absconded from the harem and the child king is now under the ministers' clutches. They will shortly kill him. I consider that father a sinner, and unrighteous who disregards the welfare of his own child. I condemn such father thousand times.”
Talking thus they passed by the park. After a while king Shrenika came there and bowed down to the sage, engaged in meditation. Then he approached Lord Mahavira and attended the Lord's religious preachings. Finding opportunity king Shrenika asked the Lord, “Oh Lord, I bowed down to the sage Prasannachandra engaged in meditation on my way. Supposing he died then, what state he would have acquired after death."
