________________
Tho
e
After its passage through many rebirths, the soul that was Kamath was born in a poor Brahmin family. His parents died immediately after his birth. As a street dweller he wandered and begged around lanes and highways. Looking at his wretched condition people started calling him Kamath (ill fated).
Once a mendicant came that way. Kamath asked him-"O sage! These rich people eat fruits and sweets, live in palaces and I find it difficult to get one square meal even after so much hardship of begging. Why is it so ?"
The mendicant-"This is due to fruits of karma. These people performed austerities, chanting and charity during their past birth. As a consequence they enjoy this life."
Kamath "Sire! Can I also perform austerities? How to do that?"
The mendicant initiated him as a hermit and said "Go and do penance in solitude. Penance begets everything."
Wandering around, hermit Kamath came to the banks of Ganges in Varanasi and commenced his penance.
BHAGAVAN PARSHVA NAATH Jan Education international
One day Parshva Kumar was sitting in his palace when he saw hundreds of people going towards the Ganges. Some carried baskets full of flowers and some carried sweets.
For Private & Personal Use Only
49
www.jainelibrary.org
