Drushtant Kathao

Author(s): Shrimad Rajchandra, Dinubhai M Patel
Publisher: Shrimad Rajchandra Ashram

Page 12

Bhavnabodh - Asharan Bhavana
to spend all his wealth for curing my ailing eyes but all in vain. My mother felt too much miserable at my ailments but she also could not cure me and this O King, confirmed my feeling of being an orphan ! My elder and younger brothers tried to help me by all means they could command and yet I could not be cured. Similarly my elder and younger sisters tried to help me but none of them succeeded in curing my disease O King! such was my orphanhood, my wife who was devoted to me and loved me with all her being, shed tears on me, applied various kinds of cooling, soothing ointments and medicaments to my eyes, head and the rest of the body, serving me and staying at my bidding near to me day and night for days together but due to the killing pain I was suffering from, I could not enjoy her youthful passion or satisfy her. Such an obedient wife, who never left my company without my permission, could not relieve my pain and this O King, was my feeling of being an orphan ! Thus neither the affection of some, nor the medicines of some, nor the vailings of some, nor the efforts of some could relieve me from my disease and on all these occasions, I suffered unbearable pain.
Then I really felt dejected at my contact with the unending worldly matters and I decided that in case I get relief from this unbearable sufferings, I would adopt an ascetic life with a spirit of forgiveness to all, of ascetic sense-control and a life of moving without any worldly desires. Thinking this way I went into sleep and O King, when night passed off, my disease disappeared and I felt great relief. In the next morning, I disclosed my decision of renunciation of family life to my parents, wife and the rest and with their blessings, leaving all of them I took to this ascetic life. Thereafter I became lord of self as well as others soul, and now I am the Lord, protector of all kinds of living beings. Thus the Anathi Muni - the ascetic made the king Shrenik to feel the Asharan Bhavana strongly in his mind. The ascetic further preaches the king in that connection
O King! Our soul itself is the creator of Vaitarani - the dangerous river of miseries; our soul itself is the cause of the growth of Shalmali - a sharp weapon like tree of sorrows and sufferings. Our soul itself is just like Kamdhenu - the cow whose milk is the source of fulfilling all sorts of desires and resulting agreeable happiness and joy. Our soul itself is our joyous Nandanavan or garden of Eden. Our soul itself is the creator of our bondages and our soul itself is the liberator of our bondages. Our soul itself creates forms of miseries and our soul itself creates forms of happiness, our soul itself is our closest friend and our soul itself is our direst enemy. Our soul itself performs the noble actions and our soul itself performs the evil actions. Thus in various ways Anathi Muni or the ascetic explained to King Shrenik the facts of soul and its orphan state of worldly life. On hearing the same King Shrenik, was much pleased and satisfied and then the King with both hands folded, addressed the ascetic as under :
"O Lord! You have advised me correctly. You described the orphan state of worldy persons and yourself as it was. O great seer ! You have really been one with an unfailing protector. You have real friends and relatives and you have adopted the right religion. You therefore are the protector or saviour of all orphans. O you holy ascetic ! I beg your pardon for telling you that I can be your protector. I really wish for enlightening advices from you. I was wrong in asking you, O great fortunate ! for enjoyment of sensual pleasures which would really be harmful to a religious person following the right path of liberation. I apologize by bowing down to you with my whole being from head to toe." Thus praising this Anathi Muni, King Shrenik was full of joy and cheerfulness and after taking circles round the ascetic in the spirit of veneration and adoration and in all humility returned home.
Lesson: O fortunate souls! The teaching of Anathi Muni, who had practised penance
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