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OCTOBER, 1985
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1. The story of king Srenika, queen Dharini and prince Abhaya
kumara 2. Birth, education and marriage of Meghakumara 3. Decides to renounce the world on hearing the preaching of
Mahavira 4. Dialogue between Meghakumara and his parents on renunciation 5. Initiation of Meghakumara and afflication regarding bed. He de
cides to return to a householder's life 6. Mahavira stabilises him in the monkhood by narrating his previous
life of an elephant when he saved a rabbit's life out of compassion and in the process courted death
To some extent the story is similar to that of Gajasukumala. Seeking consent of the parents and have a dialogue was a popular theme.18 It was so also in the Buddhist literature. 19
The description of attaining sainthood by Nanda in Buddhist literature is very much similar to the story of Meghakumara.20 Points of similarities are as follows:
1. Meghakumara becomes averse to a monk's life due to sayyā
parişaha while Nanda remembers his beautiful wife Janapadakalyani
2. Lord Mahavira reminds Meghakumara the pains he had undergone
in his previous life as an elephant out of compassion for a rabbit and reinstates him in the monkhood while Buddha shows him an ugly she-monkey and beautiful apsarās of heaven to make him steady
3. Like Meghakumar Nanda was also an elephant in his previous
life. The events are almost similar 21
The close study of the stories reveals that it became essential for Buddha and Mahavira to recruit disciples from royal families so that ordinary people may be attracted to their respective religions.
18 Jain, J.C., Jain Agam Sahitya-me Bharatiya Samaj, pp. 385-86. 19 Mahavagga, Chap. 1, 46, 105, p. 86. 20 Suttanipata Atthakatha, p. 272; Theragatha, 157, 21 Sangamavatara Jataka (Hindi Trans.), No. 182
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