Jain Journal 1972 01

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

Page 17

JANUARY, 1972
King Srenika after hearing from Mahayira that he himself would have to go to hell in the next life, was depressed. He bowed to Mahavira and asked, “How I, who am sheltered by no less a person than you, Lord Mahavira, shall have an existence in hell ?”
Mahavira said to the king, “Yes, it has to be. On account of your deep interest in hunting in the past you have acquired karma leading to birth in hell. And for following my path you will be born again as a human being, and just as I am the last Tirthankara of the present phase of the time-cycle, so you will become the first Tirthankara named Padmanabha, 20 in the next phase. Hearing the great prophecy, king Srenika became somewhat consoled.
Srenika then asked the Lord, “Is there any means by which I can escape hell ?"
Mahavira replied, "If you make the Brahmani Kapila give alms cheerfully and with devotion to sādhus or if you make the butcher Kalasaurika give up slaughtering even for a day, then you would be saved from rebirth in hell, not otherwise, O King !"
King Srenika called Kapila as well as Kalasaurika, but both of them refused to oblige him. When Kapila was forced to give alms, she said, “I am not giving alms; it is the king who is giving alms.” For preventing the butcher from killing the animals, the king ordered him to be thrown in a dry well, and kept a prisoner for a day and night, but the butcher made five hundred buffaloes out of clay and killed them. 21 In fact, both the means suggested by Mahavira were impossible for Srenika. Mahavira had only suggested them to enlighten Srenika.
Jaina literature is full of accounts of the dialogues between Mahavira and king Srenika. One of these discusses the royal-monk Prasannacandra.
Prasannacandra was the king of Potanapura. When Mahavira went to Potanapura, being enlightened by his sermons, he joined the monks' order. With Mahavira once he came to Rajagrha, and stood meditating just outside the samavasarana. At that time, king Srenika
20 The detailed description of Padmanabha Tirthankara is given in Thananga
Sutra, 9/3/693. 21 Trisastisalakapurusacaritram, book 10, canto 9, v. 59-138.