________________
160
JAINA STORIES
Where should she go? With whom should she seck shelter ? She did not like to die in this ghastly manner. She preferred to put an end to her life herself She saw a well nearby She picked up her little ones and moved hurriedly to it Then she addressed these final words.
"On Arhats ! Liberated Souls ! Monks ! I take shelter with thee I have no intention to commit suicide, but circumstances compel me to do so. I have been supported by spirituality so far, and I pray, may I be supported likevise in my next life ! If I have earned any merit in this life, may I not be born in a non-Aryan race or in a non-Aryan country' May I always get shelter with the Liberated Souls, Preceptor and Religion ! I seek shelter with Arhat Aristanemi who is soon to reorganise the Order I could not live to see the day myself and pay my homage and obeisance to him May my desire to worship him be fulfilled in my next life!
"Before Somabbatta could reach the well, she leapt into it with her two little children Somabhatta saw this from a little distance and heard her last words He was alarmed and his eyes were filled with tears He could no longer stand this tragic scene and fell down in a swoon When he regained consciousness, the following words slipped from his mouth, 'You were pure, and you were abused for nothing How shall I be liberated from this colossal sin ?'
“With great effort, he came to the well. He stood on it and said, "My dear! Useless is this life of mine when you are no longer in it' So saying, he leapt into the well to join his wife through death
“Sakrendra !” Concluded Arhat Aristanemi,
"This Ambika is now boro in heaven She came here to pay her homage and obeisance She is now a commanding deity Her husband has been born as her vebicle in the form of a tiger"
:0:
