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PHILOSOPHY OF SCUL
Brahmin's wife was very much enraged to find her dear husband and affectionate cow brutally done to death. She rushed on the murderer with abuses, but was ruthlessly cut to pieces with the sword, her foetus emerging out as she was pregnant. Moments of excitement make a man lose all sense of discrimination. What would be the consequences when a frail and innocent female deer tries to attack a fierce tiger ?
Now seeing the sight of- multiple murders of innocent creatures, Dradhaprahari's heart was deeply moved and he reflected, "What have I done ? Four murders at a time? A Brahmin, a woman, a cow and an unborn child ? Indeed I am a great sinner. I am a wretch, most wicked and a mean unsurpassed. My wickedness has no bounds”.
With such reflections he left the town Kushasthala, but the most tragic sight did not leave his mental screen. He every now and then began to condemn his most atrocious act and so doing he had tears of repentance from his eyes.
Repentance is highly effective and it melts even a heart of adamant to make it a delicate flower. We are reminded of a wellknown couplet of Kalapi's poem :
"Indeed flows from heaven
the stream of repentance, Wherein the sinner plunges
and purifies himself". Dradhaprahari arrived in a forest where an ascetic was practising penances. He approaching the ascetic piteously cried at his feet. The saint said : "Blessed one! Be calm, why do you lament so much ?”
Dradhaprahari replied: "Lord, I am a great sinner, most wicked murderer. For no reason I committed murders of a Brahmin, a cow, a woman and a child. What plight shall I be reduced to? Oh, merciful one! save me, come to my rescue".
The saint said: "Good fellow, your commission of an act is anyhow over, but there is a way out, if you determine not to repeat such sins in future. Lord Jineshwara has prescribed great mode of life with five great vows, viz., non-violence, truth, non-stealing, celibacy and non-hoarding. You should embrace this mode of life and you will be purified and freed from all sins".
