________________
Bhagawan Mahavir )
[ 211 gence the pleasures enjoined by fate and to keep their mind calm and cool at the time of greatest miseries and troubles. Prince Vardhamana passed a portion of his married life in this way. During this period, while his palace always remained full of luxuries and comforts which were meant for binding him to the world, his pure mind was experiencing more and more the unstability and transitoriness of this world and was proceeding towards renunciation. He however remembered quite well his promise that he had made while in his mother's womb,and, that why he did not think it proper even to propose his consecration before his parents.
A daughter was born to the prince some days after his marriage. She was named Priy-Darsana. Later on she was married to a prince named Jamali who belonged to a high family and who was a fit match for her in age, merits, health, knowledge and faith.
King Siddhartha and queen Trishala had now grown old. One day they sat together and talked between themselves in the following manner, “ Our bodies have now become too decrepit. It seems that our end is drawing nearer and nearer. We were debarred from accepting the cansecration simply by our attachment to the world and our love and affection for Vardhamana. Our indulgence might be justified from the point of view of gaining our own selfish ends and material interests, but as regards protection and maintenance of the established laws of religion as well as our future welfare in the next world, we have acted quite wrongly. Now we must be up and doing, for according to the proverb, " Let bygone be bygone and act, in the living present " we must make the best use of our life that remains. It seems quite
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
