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JAIN JOURNAL
As queen Mrgavati listens to the sermon, an immense change begins to take place in her thoughts and feelings and is reflected in her face. From her matchless, lotus-like countenance gleams out the lustre of the spirit of non-attachment and renunciation. When the sermon is over, she rises and thrice walking round and bowing to Lord Mahavira, says to him with folded hands,
"Lord, I have realised the vanity of the worldly life and my attachment to it is gone. In order to be liberated for ever from the unbearable pain of birth, decrepitude and death, I wish to be initiated and admitted into your order of nuns. May my Lord be compassionate enough to permit me.”
Mahavira replies,
“O beloved to the gods ! Follow the inclination of your heart.”
King Pradyota was regarding Mrgavati with a fixed stare. Mahavira's personality and his sermon have wrought a great change in his mind also. He thinks in amazement,
“Is this glorious woman the peerless beauty Mrgavati whose portrait has charmed me? No doubt she is extraordinarily beautiful, but, why, her beauty is causing no infatuation in me ; rather, it is giving rise to a feeling of honour and respect.”
His coming to Kausambi, his intense desire to win Mrgavati and allthis long and intent waiting now appear to him as nothing but a colossal error, and an egregious wrong. In the course, of only a few moments by the influence of the great saint, a wonderful change has come over the outlook of even such an unfeeling evil-doer as the Black-hearted Pradyota. Suddenly he rises from his seat, thrice walks round and bows to Mahavira and makes for his camp with unhurried steps.
On the next day Pradyota enters Kausambi, unarmed and with only a few body-guards and himself taking the initiative, gets the coronation of the prince Udayana performed. Making a promise that if ever he is informed that an enemy has attacked Kausambi, he will immediately come with his army and protect it, he sets off for Ujjain.
Mrgavati becomes a nun and before long attains to spiritual liberation by severe self-discipline and austerities.
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