________________
174
JAINA STORIES
"Oh king? It is a long story, In Mahavidcha, there lived a merchant who had two sons, both being highly accomplished One day, the elder brother went abroad on business. Dusiog his absence, the younger one told his sister-in-law in joke one day that his brother had been murdered by robbers This was a great shock to the lady who did of a broken heart At this unexpected incident, the younger brother became hearlily sorry.
“When the elder brother returned and canc to know of his brother's hand in the premature death of his wise, he became very angry with his brother, and no amount of regret by the latter was able to pacify him The elder then joined the order of heretical monks, and at death, was born as an Asurakumara The younger joined the Jaina holy order
"The elder, now an Asurakumara, came to the younger one day to take revenge He picked him up and dashed him aganıst a rock, billing him on the spot He earned a heavenly life, and is now born as your son, Prioce Sagarchandra.
"The Asurakumara is still after his younger brother It is he who picked up Sagarchandra and dropped him in tbe sea He is not pacified yet' and is likely to cause further troubles, but at no time now he will be able to overpower the prince."
This revelation of the past gave enlightenment to the royal couple and the prince, all three of whom were initiated into the holy order. Deeply impressed by the great power of the couplet in his possession that always stood by him at the most difficult moments of life, as a monk Sagarchandra now turned to the holy texts and soon mastered them Later, he headed the order. Knowing his last moment not very far, Sagarchandra courted fast unto death and sat in deep meditation. At this moment, the Asurakumara caused him great affliction which he bore unconcerned. In this - state, at a very supreme moment, he acquired the knowledge of the free, and entered into liberation, the most coveted state, wherefrom there is no gliding back and forth by the soul in the -cycle of life and death. -
