Jain Legend Vol 2

Author(s): Hastimal Maharaj, Shuganchand Jain, P S Surana
Publisher: Hastimal Maharaj Shugan C Jain P S Surana

Page 162

our entire family, you have to cut my head to save our family. Honour my word and save our dynasty”.
aka ra, along with his son r yaka went to the palace, stood in front of Nanda and bent his head in salutation. r yaka immediately took out the sword and in a single stroke, cut off the head of aka ra. This unfortunate event happened in V.N. 146.
Nanda became impetuous and in a surprised tone asked, "Son! r yaka! What have you done?'
In a grave tone, r yaka said, “Lord! When you have ascertained that the Prime Minister is a traitor, I have discharged my duty as a servant”.
Nanda became speechless and was looking intently at r yaka. Later he performed the final rites of his late Prime Minister amid royal honours. Nanda then requested r yaka to take charge as the Prime Minister of the Magadha kingdom.
r yaka, with humility said, “O king of Magadha! My elder brother Sth labhadra is as competent as my father. Hence I request you to offer him the post of Prime Minister. From the past 12 years he has been staying at the residence of the concubine, Ko .
The Post of Prime Minister
As asked by r yaka, King Nanda sent his senior officials and invited Sth labhadra with due honour to the palace and requested him to accept the post of Prime Minister. To arrive at a decision, Sth labhadra sat in the A oka Garden of the Palace and started contemplating. Even though Sth labhadra was all the while staying with the concubine Ko and spending his life enjoying the physical pleasures, his prudent inner mind was completely alert. Sth labhadra thought, “The royal authority and grandeur unnecessarily pushed my godly father towards premature death; taking up the same authority and powerful post of a Prime Minister cannot give me happiness. It is quite possible that one day I too may end up in the same situation. Under such uncertain situation, it is better that I choose that wealth and power which will keep me happy forever and which is everlasting.
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