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Jain Society of Greater Detroit
PRATISHTHA MAHOTSAV JUNE 27-JULY 6 1998 SUNANDA AND ROOPSEN
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ICA.
"I may let you know but then won't it lord, you have heard of my immoral character. I bring you unhappiness?"
am the cause of Roopsen's needless suffering. If "Certainly not," said Sunanda in an you give me your permission I will take diksha emphatic manner.
and try to mend the damage I have done in the Seeing something to be gained, the municourse of barming seven lives.” said, "Then listen."
The king said, "Angel, life is a slave of Then in a grave tone, the muni began karma. We will both take diksha and the path with when she was 12 years old and the first of salvation. The muni asked them not to delay scene that Sunanda had seen from the rooftop and went to his guru. and ended with revealing the identity of her lover
The king, queen and some of their courtfrom the night of the festival. Sunanda affirmed iers all tooke diksha together. the veracity of the various events of her life that
The king through deep and intense medithe muni had narrated.
tation and renunciation found liberation in the Aghast at her sins, Sunanda asked what same life. had happened to Roopsen and the muni recounted Undertaking extreme renunciations and how he died and told of his five reincarnations rigors, Sunanda, the sadhviji, under the excellent starting from the embryo in her womb to the deer tutelage of her guruni, acquired the power of clairthat she was consuming.
voyance. Sunanda, unable to bear it, put her
Finally one day Sunanda asked her hands to her ears and screamed, "Oh man of guruni, "Oh maharaj, if you grant me permisgod, what a sinner I am. If Roopsen, who had sion I wish to go in search of that reincarnation not sinned, is undergoing such suffering then what of Roopsen, the elephant, who suffered through is in store for me? Is there any hope for salvation the pain of seven lives because of me." for me?"
"You are knowledgeable and if you feel that there "Even great sinners can be reformed is gain in that, you certainly have my permission. through the process of renunciation. As long as Our desire is that wherever possible a soul should our lives are in our own bands there will always be uplifted.” be ways to save ourselves.”
Humbly taking her gurini's blessings and "Oh man of god, where has Roopsen's taking four other sadbvis with her, Sunanda left soul gone now and is there any way to save him?" in the direction of Sugram. After having sought "In a town called Sugram in Vindhyachal, be is permission there she spent the monsoon season in in the form of an elephant. When he hears from Sugram. your mouth of his seven reincarnations, he will "Mabaraj, where are you going past the gain memory of his previous lives, he will adopt town limits? There is an elephant that uproots religion and upon his death go to heaven. trees and destroys whosoever comes in his
Sunanda turned to face the king. "My
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