Drushtant Kathao

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

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Mrugaputra's conversation with parents
form of a dog, the other denizen by name Shabalnama threw me on ground, tore me like a tatter, cut me like a tree. At that time I was very much tossing about with restlessness.
I was torn into pieces by terrific denizens of hell by a deadly sword, by a spear and by such other weapons. There was no end to my suffering due to such tearing to pieces on my birth in hell as a result of my bad deeds. I was yoked like an old animal-Yakking horse to bear and draw fiercely burning chariots. I was roasted like a dead buffalo in the fire and suffered pain in the charred body. I was crying when many vultures pierced my body with their bikes like pincers to eat my flesh. When I ran to satisfy my thirst, I got water of Vaitarani river as painful as cuts of sharp razor and suffered much thereby. I had fallen into Asipatravan - a place in hell which is extremely hot, where the leaves of trees,which are sharp edged pierced my body innumerable times. My body was cut into pieces by instruments like Mudgar, Trishul, Mushal, Gada - a deadly mace and other sharp weapons. While suffering this way, I had no place of shelter or relief. I was lynched many a times like cutting of a cloth by sharp razors, knives and scissors. I was cut into small pieces. I was pierced from cross directions. My skin was peeled off with creaking sound. In this way I suffered endless pain.
I was caught like a deer many times. Denizens of hell gave me pain innumerable times by catching me in a net in my form of an aligator. I was caught in a net and tortured much in my form of a falcon. I was killed after my being hooked in a net. I was powdered into pieces like the powdering of a tree. I was pressed as iron-smith presses the iron by stroke of a hammer. I was made to drink the hot liquid of copper, iron and lead, and I was offered my own flesh to eat as I may have liked flesh eating in some of previous births. I was heavily punished for my liking of drinking wine in some of my previous births.
In my hellish life, I suffered in this way the extreme infliction to the body shivering with great fear, great pain and great sorrow. The pains suffered are extremely intense, dreadful and of very long duration and which are terrifying even on listening. The suffering in the hell was many more times intense as compared to what is seen on this earth in human form. I have undergone all such suffering in all the past births. Even not for a moment, peace was experienced there."
Thus Mrugaputra addressed his parents with a strong aptitude of renunciation, describing his sufferings of his various previous births. By way of reply, his parents said as under :
"O son ! If you have strongly determined to become an ascetic, then get initiated to asceticism. But in your ascetic life, who will act as a physician when you suffer from a disease ? Who will relieve you off your pains? It is very difficult to lead an ascetic's life without doctors or physicians." To this, Mrugaputra replied; "You are right, but you should also think about birds and animals like deer in this world who are alone and have none to cure them off their diseases.
Just as a deer moves in a jungle or a forest so will I move in my forest of saintly life and I shall love and observe seventeen kinds of pure restraints. I shall practise twelve kinds of natural penances and move as an observer like a deer." He again repeated, "When a deer catches a disease in the forest, then who acts as a physician to cure it? Who is nearby to help the ailing deer? Who gives it needed medical care ? Who inquires about its joy, peace and happiness? Who brings to it food and water ? Just as such a deer, after getting freed from its
ailments, goes to a lake in the forest, and eating grass and drinking water of the lake, starts moving as before, so will I behave in my ascetic life. Just as the deer bears patiently all adventitious
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