Jain Ramayana Part 2

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

Page 36

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JAIN RAMAYAN
his mind, there arose a severe conflict between the contrary attitudes of acceptance and negation.
The pleasures of eating and drinking; and the elations of honour and prestige did not bring him peace and serenity. Royal splendour, prosperity and power failed to bring him any joy or satisfaction. Prince Purandhar deemed all these things worthless, futile and transitory. He clearly visualized the raging volcano that lay behind those things. Though he possessed all those things, he desired to follow the path of mendicancy chosen by his father and his elder brother. But one thought stood on the way of his spiritual aspiration, like a serious impediment.
Prince Purandhar had married a princess of great nobility and beauty by name Prithvi. Two or three years had passed, since the time of his marriage, but Prithvi's womb had not yet borne a fruit. How could Purandhar become a Sadhu until a boy was born to him who could succeed him to the throne of Ayodhya ? From times immemorial, the kings born in the line of Lord Rishabhdev had been continuing the magnificent tradition of administering the Kingdom in such a way that the people of the Kingdom enjoyed absolute serenity, felicity and prosperity. The objective of their life was not confined to this ideal; it also included the principle; "The supreme felicity and serenity are found in renunciation”; and they embodied this lofty principle. When the kings themselves voluntarily embraced the path of
ciation, how could the people have any attachment for sensual pleasures and worldly delights ? There was no likelihood at all of the people falling into the bottomless pit of immorality, inequity, injustice, sexual immorality, stealing and false and deceitful conduct which are necessary to secure worldly delights and sensual pleasures.
A serious calamity would have taken place if Purandhar had become a Sadhu renouncing the world without handing over his kingdom to his son. The Kingdom would have fallen into the hands of a hostile person; and the new king might have made worldly pleasures his only objective; and might have encouraged people to follow him; and in consequence, the people would have forgotten or ignored culture, noble conduct and tradition and