Jain Story Book

Author(s): Manu Doshi
Publisher: Manu Doshi

Page 16

much? Should I then ask for 100,000 coins? But why do I need that much?" His mind was now set in reverse gear. One after another, he thought of 10000, 1000, 100 and 25 coins and every time he thought that by asking for that amount he would simply be exploiting the good intention of the king. Ultimately, he thought that he should ask for only two grains of gold for which he had been originally out.
But his entire perspective had changed by then. He had a glimpse of the nature of attachment and the wildness of desire that could lead any one astray. He reflected, "I had been here in Shravasti for gaining knowledge but attachment for Manorama made me to forsake it. That attachment has led me to worry for the future and that, in turn, had led me to get two grains of gold. But that small desire got inflamed by the kindness of the king and that induced me to go to the extent of desiring the entire kingdom! How insatiable are the desires? The more a person gets, the more he desires to get. The sense of accumulation knows no limits!"
He remembered how much excitement he felt when he thought of getting million coins or the entire kingdom. He also thought of the tranquility that he experienced within, when he started calming down his desire. He could thus realize that desire does not lead any one to happiness. He also realized that insatiable as they are, desires can be overcome by a strong sense of detachment. He remembered the sages saying that the right way of gaining enduring happiness is to stay detached. As the concept of detachment took strong hold over him, the Karmas that were obscuring his perception, started dripping off. He thought that it was the time that he should get rid of all desires that tend to pollute the mind. And he decided not to ask for anything.
As he went back to the court, the king asked him what he had decided to get. Kapil replied that he did not want anything. The king was amazed. He asked, 'What?' Kapil narrated how his mind had gone to the extent of asking for the entire kingdom and how he could calm it down by getting rid of all desires. Then he said that he felt happy with the sense of detachment that he could develop. And Kapil left the court with sense of very high detachment that shortly afterwards led him to omniscience. He is therefore known as Kapil kevali.
SHRIPÄL AND MAYANÄSUNDARI
King Singhrath was ruling over Champanagar. By his queen Kamalprabhä he had a son named Shripal. The king died while Shripäl was five years old. Singhrath's brother Ajitsen was very ambitious. He took this opportunity and seized the throne. He was keen to get rid of Shripäl in order to make his position safe. As Kamalprabhä got aware of his vicious design, she fled away from Champanagar along with her son. Learning about her escape, Ajitsen sent his trusted soldiers to pursue her. How long could the poor lady go, as she had to run on foot with the young kid? As the pursuers got closer, she could not make out how to save her son. By that time she saw a band of leucodermic people. In desperation, she asked them to take her son in their custody. Those people warned her about the risk of her son contracting the disease. No alternative was however left to her for saving the life of Shripal. She therefore entrusted her son to them.
Shripäl was very bold and handsome. Those people got very fond of him and took all possible care for the boy who grew in their company. Unfortunately, Shripäl also ultimately contracted leucoderma. As he attained youth, those people made him their leader and he was named Umar Ränä. Under his leadership, the group travelled from place to place and happened to arrive at Ujjayini, the capital of Mälwä.