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Bhagawan Mahavir ]
[ 213
The parents of Vardhamana died when he was twenty eight years old. His kinsmen and specially his elder brother, Nandivardhana, felt the pangs of separation very much, but prince Vardhamana consoled them all. He said to Nandivardhana brother, death is the logical conclusion of birth. He who is born is sure to die sooner or later. None is immortal in this world. It is therefore, useless to grieve for a thing which is not real. If you grieve for the body which is nothing but a collection of atoms of matter which when separated are immortal, undestructable, unchangable and unborn. Wise people never allow themselves to be over ridden with infatuation. They always believe in the immortality of soul, that is why they are not moved by the joys and sorrows brought about by its birth or death. It is the ignorant people alone who think that body and soul are one, and who, therefore, indulge themselves in all sorts of sorrows and wailings cosequent upon the birth and death of the soul. I, therefore, request you, my dear brother, to do away with your grief and to mind your business that is in hand. World is only another name for life and death. They are most indispensable parts of its existence. Pray get up and be consoled. It is the coward and the ignorant that grieve.”
These significant words of prince Vardhamana removed the feeling of grief and infatuation from the heart of Nandi-vardhana. Thinking that public opinion was in favour of his younger brother, Nandi Vardhana now requested prince Vardhamana to sit on the throne of his father and to take the reins of government in his hand. Legally Nandivardhana was the rightful heir to the throne, but there were two causes which prevented him from accepting the throne. In the first place, public opinion was completely in favour of prince
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