Jain Lesson I

Author(s): JAINA Education Committee
Publisher: Diwakar Prakashan

Page 63

Lesson 23 THE DEVOTED FROG
Once upon a time, there lived a merchant named Nagdatta in the city of Rajagrahi. His wife's name was Bhavdatta. They both loved each other, but the merchant had too much affection for his wife. Unfortunately, the merchant died one day. His wife wept, cried, and mourned. The merchant, because of his Karma, was reborn as a frog. Incidentally, he was born into his own well.
One day, when Bhavdatta came to get the water from the well, the frog saw her and he suddenly remembered his past life. Now he knew who he was, he felt very happy. He started dancing and followed Bhavdatta. He followed her into the house. She felt sympathetic for him. She put him on the out side so that he would not get crushed, but the frog came back. Wherever Bhavdatta went, he followed her. This continued for many months.
One day Bhavdatta went to pay reverence to a monk named Suvrat. The frog followed her there. After paying her homage to the monk, the curious Bhavdatta asked him about the frog. She said that the frog had been following her for many months.
This monk was not an ordinary monk. He was an Avadhijnani. That means he can know something up to some distance. He knew who the frog was. He told Bhavdatta that her husband, after his death, was reborn as the frog. He had remembered his past life and he knew that she was his wife. So, out of affection he was following her.
Bhavdatta picked up the frog gently, and took him home. She started taking good care of the frog.
After a few days Bhavdatta heard that Lord Mahavir had come
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