Jain Journal 1968 01

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 15

JANUARY, 1968
105
funeral pyre. Naturally, this too was no fit place for the sage and his follower. So they moved further away reaching a hill not far from the capital-city. Here the sage decided a halt and sent his followers to beg food from the neighbouring villages.
In this group, there were two young ascetics, brother and sister, Abhayaruci and Abhayamati, who happened to be the nephew and niece of the king Maradatta by his sister. Both of them were directed to beg in the city. As soon as they went there they were encountered by the guards and were induced to follow them to the sacrificial spot, since they bore the requisite traits they were looking for.
The temple wore a dreadful look at this time with all sorts of animals from the earth, sky and ocean assembled and awaiting slaughter. In the midst stood the king with a drawn sword with which he was to sacrifice a human couple and initiate the great carnage. He looked specially terrific like a burning flame with his passions flaring up in his inner being. But these had no effect on the young ascetics who remained calm and composed ready to court what would befall them. The king did not recognise them ; but their tender look, more than their beatitude, could not fail to move his heart. He was in a fix. At this sight, a bard recited a couple of verses urging the king to lay aside his sword. Maradatta silently listened to the verses. These had a profound effect on him. He was now decided about his course. He placed the drawn sword at the feet of the goddess. He raised his hands to impose silence in the noisy spectators, and offered seats to the ascetics who then showered panegyrics on the king in the conventional style.
The king then expressed curiosity about the antecedents of the ascetics. To satisfy the king, the boy-ascetic started with the story of his previous births which was in part as follows:
There is a very prosperous country named Avanti. In this country, in the city of Ujjaini, there reigned a great monarch named Yasorgha. His consort was Candramati (the girl ascetic Abhayamati in the present birth). They had a son named Yasodhara (the boy-ascetic himself in the present birth). One day the king saw a grey hair on his head. This brought the thought of impending old age to his mind and he decided to renounce the world. The king revolved in his mind the Jaina prescription of anuprekşā and then gave orders for marriage and coronation of his son. Elaborate arrangements were made on the bank of the Sipra where the prince was married with Amrtamati and installed as the king of the realm.