Jain Stories 02

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

Page 96

72
JAINA STORIES
fellow traveller, I have come down to take the juice from this well You will excuse my disturbing you and be good enough to permit me to take a gourd-full of juice'
,,
The voice-"I was a sea-roving merchant myself. Once I was a victim of a ship-wreck and saved myself by swimming ashore. Meseems that I met this same traveller who induced me to come with him After we had reached here, he lowered me into this well Then he took the gourd full of juice from my hand but he dropped me into it Now, you see, sir, the same fate awaits thee Once in the well, it is impossible to get out This juice is dangerous to the body and my end now may not be very far off That's why I warned you not to touch it You give me the gourd I shall fill it and pass it on to you"
Charudatta gave him the gourd, which the man filled up and returned. The traveller now pulled up the rope
The traveller-"Give me the gourd first. Then I shall take you out "
Charudatta
"You have to take me out with the gourd " The traveller wes vexed at these words He took both of them out, but he pushed both back into the well. But as fortune helped him-and he was cautious too because of the prior warning-he caught the support of the earthen ring inside and stood half-way from the juice But, as there was no possibility of his getting out, he started brooding over his past As he did it, he felt very bad But time is the best healer, and after some time, his agony had somewhat abated It occured to him that it must be all a play of karma accumulated from the past, and it was not known what other hardships were still in store He went on brooding and brooding and at last thought of giving a turn to his life by changing its course in the spiritual direction He remembered the arihantas, the siddhas, the monks and the religion. He took the vow to desist from sinful acts, went on fast and became immersed in meditation.
The man who was already in the well said the following soothing words to console him