Book Title: Jain Stories 01
Author(s): Mahendramuni, K C Lalwani
Publisher: A B Jain Shwetambar Terapanth Samaj

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Page 177
________________ KAMAGHATA There was a city named Sripur of which King Jitarı was the ruling monarch His minister Matisagar was really an ocean of intellect, wisdom and statesmanship and was held by all in the highest esteem The king was very fond of his minister and he took him into confidence even in personal matters Often they discussed religion The king was an atheist and to him virtue was a myth and penance was a perpetual condemnation into self-created misery He was a 'success man' in modern sense to whom success meant affluence, amassing a large fortune by any means whatsoever. To court misery in the name of religion was, to him, the height of idiocy According to the minister, religion was not a thing that could be imposed, but was something inherent When one practised forgiveness, fellow-feeling, etc, he did so not so much to help others as to help himself And so with penance It was no invitation to misery, but a supreme means for the purification of the soul, a companion of virtue As discussions like this were frequent, the king acquired the nick name of Papa-buddhı (one whose intellect is vice) and the minister acquired the nickname of Dharma-buddhi (one whose intellect is virtue) The king said one day, “Look here I fight with other kings and defeat them I subdue their men and usurp their treasure and territory I go often for hunting According to your view, these are evil deeds But what do I get? Fame, fortune, influence, men and money You are a pious man, but you haven't got as much wealth and influence as I have Even what you call

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