Jain Journal 1985 04

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

Page 28

APRIL, 1985
letter of his friend. He embraced the letter as if it was his friend in person. He received the messenger very cordially. Then on retreating to the privacy of his bed-room he opened the casket. To his utter surprise, instead of sparkling pearls and diamonds, he found something new, the meaning of which was not very much comprehensible to him. He began to think. "What is this? Why has he sent it? I have never seen such an object !"
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His thoughts became deeper and deeper and suddenly, as in a flash, his soul was enlightened and the memory of his past life dawned in his mind. He remembered that in his past life he too had gone through some such spiritual practice as depicted on the gift.
From now on Ardrakakumar became very restless. He was impatient somehow to meet Abhayakumar. But how to travel such a long distance? When he approached his father, he did not agree to send his only son to a distant land. He became very sad. All his joys were gone. He always desired of going to India and to go through the religious practice as he had done in his previous life. When his father saw him utterly depressed, he became apprehensive of his flight. So he arranged a unit of five hundred guards to keep constant watch on him. They used to accompany him wherever he went.
One day Ardrakakumar on the pretext of making a trip to the forest went into its depth. After a lot of fun and merrymaking the guards became tired and fell asleep. Taking this opportunity Ardrakakumar selected a horse, fast as air, and covered a long distance in no time by a secret route. After travelling for some time, he reached the shore. There he abandoned the horse and boarded a ship which was bound for India.
On reaching India, on the basis of his memory, he took the vows of a monk. Then in a monk's robe he proceeded to Rajagrha to meet Abhayakumar. On his way was the city called Vasantapur. He halted there in a temple and stood in a corner in meditation.
It was dusk. Light was fading out. Some young girls were playing in the courtyard of the temple. Somehow the idea of selecting their husbands entered into their heads. The girls started running with their eyes closed and caught hold of the pillars. Assuming the pillars as their husbands they began to tease each other thus: "Look this is my husband. This is my husband !". In this way each girl started showing her husband. Among these girls was one, beautiful of all, named Srimati, daughter of a merchant. Srimati caught hold of Ardrakakumar. Her friends, when