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JAIN RAMAYAN
his life there, he was born as a son of King Dasharath of Ayodhya and was named Lakshman.”
After having described the early Janmas of Lakshman, the Mahamuni paused for a few moments. Lakshman was greatly amazed and delighted to hear the stories of his early Janmas. He began to think deeply about his attachment for Anangsundari in his Purvajanma. He said out of natural curiosity.
"Dear Lord! What happened to Anangsundari afterwards ?”
She fell off the airship suddenly but she did not fall on stones or in valleys or in rivers or oceans. But she fell into the branches of huge trees and remained caught among the intertwining branches. Of course she became unconscious. But the cool breezes of the forest helped her to regain her consciousness. After regaining her consciousness she managed to reach the ground and began wandering in great anguish thinking of her lover Punarvasu. But Punarvasu desiring to become reunited with her received initiation into the Sadhudharma. So how could he meet her in the forest. For a long time she kept wandering through the wild forest crying "Punaryasu”. After recovering her composure a little she decided to stay in a safe place she began carrying out spiritual austerities but she could not, of course, forget Punarvasu.
On account of the severe spiritual austerities she carried out, her tender and beautiful body became weak and withered like a fallen leaf. Her physical beauty faded away and she seemed to be a mere skeleton. There had also come about a great change in her mental and emotional propensities. One evening Anangsundari sat near a beautiful cataract deeply absorbed in thought. She had begun a fast. She was determined to destroy her Karmas and so she absorbed in a deep meditation on the Paramatma. Just then there came floating on the water a terrible python.
Anangsundari sat deeply absorbed in meditation. How could she know that the messanger of death had approached her. The python opened its large mouth and saw Anangsundari's
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