Jain Journal 1971 04

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

Page 74

178
JAIN JOURNAL
Then that Miyadevi driving forth that dinner wagon went to that subterranean house covered her face by means of a piece of cloth and spoke to the Reverend Goyama thus: “O Reverend Sir, you also cover your face by means of the folded cloth-piece.” Then that Miyadevi opened the door of the subterranean house with her face turned away from it. Then there issued out from it a very bad smell which was like that of the dead body of a serpent.
... Then having seen the boy Miyaputta a thought occured to the Reverend Goyama: "O this boy experiences the bitter fruit of the heavy, wicked, unrepented, miserable, sinful acts done by him previously. I have not seen the hells or hell-beings, but this man, indeed suffers the pain of hell before my eyes.” Having thought so he took leave of Miyadevi, and went out right through the city to the place where the Reverend Samana Mahavira was. Then he solemnly circumambulated him three times and having done so he saluted him and bowed down to him and then spoke thus: “O Venerable Sir, who was that man in his former birth ? And for what he experiences the bitter fruit of the hell being ?”
Then the Reverend Samana Mahavira spoke to Goyama thus : “Oh Goyama, truly at that time and at that period in this country of Bharata in the continent of Jambudvipa, there was a city called Sayaduvara which was prosperous and free from any kind of fear. In that city of Sayaduvara there was a king named Dhanvai. Not very far nor very near from that city of Sayaduvara in the south-easterly direction there was a town called Vijayavaddhamana which was prosperous, free from fear and happy. That town of Vijayavaddhamana had an extent of five hundred villages. In that town of Vijayavaddhamana there was a governor named Ikaki who was non-religious and difficult to be pleased. ...
“Then that Ikaki used to torture, kill, threaten, whip and deprive of their wealth the five hundred villages of the town of Vijayavaddhamana by means of levying upon them the burden of taxes, custom duties, interest, bribes, insults, compulsory contributions, punitive taxes, extorting money at the point of sword, supporting thieves, setting fire, and waylaying travellers. ...
Then that governor Ikaki who was doing such things, who was intent upon things of this type, who was possessed of evil knowledge of doing such things and who was possessed of such a conduct used to