Jain Agam Sahitya

Author(s): K R Chandra
Publisher: Prakrit Text Society Ahmedabad

Page 77

V. M. Doshi
53
subjugated by the sense-organ of taste and are tempted by various tastes are like the fish that is taken out of water in a net and dies panting for breath. Those who do not control the sense-organ of touch and are tempted to various objects are like the elephant that is pierced by the hook and become survile and experience great pain.
Rather than put cotton pellets into the ears in order to prevent pleasant or unpleasant voice from entering the ears, the monk should try to cultivate equanimity.
Rather than blame the eyes for seeing pleasant or unpleasant sights the monks should cultivate equanimity.
Rather than show a like or dislike for a good or bad smell coming to the nose the monk should try to cultivate equnnimity.
Rather than show a like or dislike for things that taste sweet or sour, the monk should try to cultivate equanimity.
Rather than be glad or sad when he has a feel of soft or hard objects, the monk should try to cultivate equanimity.
The fairy tale of mariner teaches us to try to cultivate control over sense-organs and become equanimous.
Thus the stories of the Nayādhammakahão are potentially allegorical.
. Since Jains were always in search of interesting stories from whatever source they came and incorporated them in their compositions, the post-canonical Jain narrative literature is voluminous
varied interest. And allegory, which is an important device of the narrative art, is a wide-spread tradition.
The parable of Man in the Well' which has gained great fame and significance in universal literature is a genuine Indian production of ascetic poetry that corresponds with Jain view of life. It deserves to be quoted here.
A Brahmin loses his way in a dense forest full of beasts of prey. In great terror he runs here and there looking in vain for a way out. Then he sees that the terrible forest is surrounded on all sides by traps and is embraced by both arms of a dreadful looking woman. Great and terrible five-headed dragons, which reach up like, rocks to the sky, surround this great forest. And in the middle of this forest, covered by underwood and creeping plants there is a well. The Brahmin falls into it and is caught on