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Jain Society of Greater Detroit PRATISHTHA MAHOTSAV ASHADH 4-12 V.S. 2054
MAHATTRA YAKINI
(Vikram Shatak 8) There once existed
an arrogant and prideful Brahmin scholar named Haribhadra. So arrogant was this man, and so sure was he in his knowledge of all things Sanskrit, that he made a vow: "If I ever come across any Sanskrit matter that I can not comprehend, I will become the disciple of the person who can explain it to me." One night the scholar was passing by a sadhvijis? upashraya when he heard a shloka being recited by sadhvi Yakini. To Haribhadra's surprise, he was unable to understand its meaning. He got its explanation from a Jain acharya on the instruction of sadhvi Yakini and this once arrogant man became the disciple of a Jain acharya as per his vow. In this way the sadhvi was responsible for bringing a renowned scholar onto the path of Jainism. Once two of Haribhadrasuriji's disciples, Hans and Paramhans were killed by Buddhist monks. Haribhadrasuri decided to kill 1444 Buddhist monks in revenge. The sadhvi asked him, "When one small animal is killed by mistake you get forgiveness only after you have done three fasts. Then what punishment will you get for this planned deed of killing 1444 monks?" Hearing this humble question from the sadhviji, the acharya's sinking life boat reached the shore and he got a new meaning in life. He wrote 1444 books as a penance for his thought for revenge. By that time the sadhvi had become a Mahattra gurudevi. Haribhadrasuriji has saluted his religious mother “Mahattra Yakini Sut" at the end of each of the 1444 sutras he wrote.
Stories Of The Sadhviji
119
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