Jain Stories

Publisher: ZZZ Unknown

Page 7

EMPEROR SANAT KUMAR
[7) EMPEROR SANAT KUMAR
(Right Faith - Samyaktva)
(Right Faith - Samyaktva)
Emperor Sanat, in previous birth, was a staunch Jain having Right Faith.Once a saint (of false faith) got angry on Sanat, as he did not respect him. The saint with his devotee's (a king) help got very hot food served on Sanat Kumar's back and ate. Sanat Kumar had to suffer a lot and his back was full of boils. (1) After this he decided to renounce this materialistic world and his mortal body and meditated in every direction for 15 days each. Carnivorous birds kept eating flesh from his back, yet he did not break his meditation. (2) With absolute equanimity his soul left his body and he became the heavenly King of Deities, Indra. (3) Later he was reborn as a very handsome Chakravarti (a great emperor of the whole world), named Sanat Kumar. Two Deities in the disguise of Brahmins came to see the handsomeness of Sanat and were spellbound seeing his beauty while he was bathing. Hearing praise for him, Sanat became proud of his beauty and asked the Deities to see him in his grandeur, beauty and glory at his courtyard when he enthroned. (4) The Brahmins came and all they could see was a Sanat's body infected with 16 types of diseases, and they frowned with disgust. On asking the reason, the Deities said "Don't be so proud you ugly and diseased man!!" Immediately Sanat spat in the spittoon and realized that diseases had infected him. (5) He immediately renounced the world and became a monk. But for 6 months repeatedly his family followed and requested him to return, but Monk Sanat did not even look at them. (6) He did severe penance for 700 years with his diseased body, which got completely cured in his organic matter turning into anti- disease. The same Deities came in disguised as doctors to cure him. Great Monk Sanat with his own spit cured his diseased finger and showed them his lustrous finger. These Deities were amazed at this sight and the powers of penance. They bowed down in respect. Monk Sanat said "Diseases are sin killers and hence our friends so, why stop it?"He fostered Monkshood for 100,000 years and accomplished welfare of soul. Bravo to his firmness!!
Inspired By: Jain Acharya Shri Bhuvanbhanusuriswarji Maharajsaheb