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SURASENA AND MAHASENA
In the city of Ksitipratistbita, there lived a kiog named Virasena. From his wife, Kamaladevi, he had two sons, Surasena and Mahasena They were lucky and intimate and had a deep fraternal tie
At times, even the happiest on the earth becomes the victim of pain and suffering Mahasena had a boil on his. tongue. It grew in size and gave him do rest. Soon it became septic All attempts to cure him failed, and people could no longer bear the sight of his suffering The doctors at last declared it to be 10curable
The tongue was now rotten and emitted a foul smell None could come near the prince, not even his own parents, the king and the queen The only person who did not give him up was his brother Surasena who always sat by his bed One day he took the vow not to take food till his brother was cured.
It then occured to him :
Why not I try the holy namokara"
So he brought some water in a cap, chanted the holy words into it and sprinkled it on the affected tongue What a wonder ! It gave immediate relief The holy water was sprinkled several times every day and in a fery days, the princewas all right The bad odour was gone and the tongue had regained its normal softness, That was a day of great glory to the religion Once, after this incident, Acharya Bhadrabahu had come there, himself a master of avadlı knowledge. Surasena and Mahasena came to him to pay obeisance and homage After the sermon was over, Surasona approached him with a request to be enlightened about the karma because of which his brother had suffered so much from the. boil on the tongue.
