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Bhagawan Mahavir ]
[ 149
instance a desire to take birth in the family of a rich man, a ruler or an emperor etc. This Nidana is the root cause of a soul's birth and death. Its plant flourished best in the fit atmosphere of luxuries. It is this Nidana, which turns eternal spiritul bliss to be gained by means of penances and religious deeds into the temporary material pleasures and of various kinds of troubles and miseries of life. The penances and religious practices which took several lives to accumulate go to dogs within a minute. All that was precious is reduced to ashes through ignorance. Such was the fate of Triprista. How wild he was against the servant of the bed chamber. He forgot himself and in a fit of anger he ordered to pour molten lead into the ears of his own bed-chamber servant. Some may venture to justify his action on the ground that he was a king and had the right to punish anyone who disobeyed his orders. But let us put one question to those who are in favour of capital punishment You supporters of capital punishment, you sentence a man to death and take his life, but will you seriously tell us what law there is according to which you justify this action of yours. What right have you to take a thing which you cannot give. Life and death are the gifts of nature, they ought to be governed by natural laws. What right have you to interfere in Nature's affairs. The material things you can give and take away and destroy at your will, but the life which is immaterial cannot be returned when once taken. At the same tine if you feel pity on the fate of the culprit whose life you have taken or if you realise your mistake after committing this heinous crime, what can you do except to be sorry and to repent for your too hasty and cruel action.
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