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Bhagawan Mahavir ]
[ 135
The royal care and princely nursing helped the child to attain youth very soon. When he became mature enough to manage state affairs, King Jitashatru gave into his hands the reins of Government and himself aecepted consecration. King Nandana reigned very honestly and righteously for a long time, but at last he too understood selfishness, unreality and meanness of this world. He was so much disgusted with filthy atmosphere of this world that the desire for self-realisation began to goad him at every step to leave the throne and royal pleasures. At last he sought the favour of Pottilacharya who gladly initiated him into the order of the monks. Before his consecration, Nandana was the protector of his subjects only, but now he had to think of the welfare of all the things animate and inanimate. Previously he ruled over others, but himself was the slave of his senses but now he engaged himself in practising severest penances mainly to gain complete victory over his senses. As a king he had to seek the help of others for carrying out his royal duties, but now as a monk he was quite independent. The mind which he could not control while he was a king, now became restrained of its own accord. His wellthought spiritual knowledge increased with the passage of time till he became too rich in it. True it is that when the time for their progress comes the souls begin to perform good deeds and keep company with the saints and higher souls of their own accord. They sweep away their passions with the help of their spiritual knowledge. The only compaņions which they would like to make friends with are Nonviolence. Truth, Charity, Chastity and Renunciation. It is due to the presence of these friends on account of whom they
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