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would be deluged by misfortunes and suffering because of his Karma. This difficult period would last for twelve and a half years. Just before it began, Indra, the King of the Gods, came to him and said, “My Lord, for the next twelve and a half years your path will be a very thorny one. The ominous clouds have already begun to darken the horizon. Grant me leave to stand by you and relieve your burden.”
And what answer did Bhagwan Mahavir make:
"Indra, no man can attain salvation by leaning on another. Such a salvation is no true salvation. If a man cannot attain salvation by means of his own inner strength, he can never hope to attain it. For true salvation can come only through self-reliance. That is precisely why I do not want you to intervene when I come face to face with my Karma.”
Does not the potter bake his pots in the intense heat of the oven before he displays them for sale: He knows full well that his reputation depends on the durability of his pots. He subjects the pot which is his own creation to the scorching heat of the oven and when it is ready, he holds it forth proudly and challenges you to test its strength, for it has passed through fire and can now withstand a great deal of
