Jain Ramayana Part 1

Author(s): Bhadraguptasuri
Publisher: Vishvakalyan Prakashan Trust Mehsana

Page 27

The Rakshasdweep: The Vanardweep
15
large and vast mountain. The airship had been obstructed by the sky-high peaks of the mountains. The airships of the heavenly beings, because of their inconceivable power, leaped over the peaks and flew ahead, unimpeded by those peaks. But Shrikant was a human being, All of a sudden, he felt greatly worried. Feeling helpless and agitated, he thought :
“With whom should I be angry? Why should I get angry at all? I am unfortunate. My obiective has not been ach and I have been thus impeded on account of the effect of the sins of my earlier lives or on account of weak and ineffective austerities. What is the use of leading this fruitless existence ? What is the use of all my possessions such as my kingdom, my throne, my incomparable wealth and the other things when they cannot help me to attain my lofty objectives? What is the use of my children and other members of my family if they cannot help me to attain my objectives ? I bid good-bye to this meaningless Samsar. I am totally weary of it. I will discard my attachment for wordly prosperity and happiness and for my relatives and the members of my family; and I will dedicate my life to the path of spiritual elevation; and carry out austerities to attain that end. Enough! This is the only auspicious way for me."
All of a sudden, the spirit of renunciation which lay latent and dormant in his mind became patent; and began to glow in all its splendour. Shrikant renounced the Samsar and became a Shraman : i.e., a sadhu. He purified his life by subjecting it to the flames of spiritual austerities. He thus purified the gold of his soul and after the span of his life was over, he attained the Nirvanpad (the state of salvation).
Shrikant's Atmatatva (soul), should have been enveloped with only a very thin cover; that was why it tore into shreds and pieces that cover, all of a sudden, under the impact of an ordinary incident; and there appeared in him a serious and firm spirit of renunciation. Truly, how profoundly spiritual were his contemplations which touched the very Sun-centre of his soul. Without thinking of destroying the sky-high peaks of the mountain that had impeded his pilgrimage to the Nandishwar