Jain Story Book

Author(s): Manu Doshi
Publisher: Manu Doshi

Page 23

From his childhood he was found unusually intelligent, fearless, affectionate and compassionate. At school he hardly needed any instructions. Once, when he was playing with his friends, a big snake was noticed. His friends got scared and fled away on seeing the snake but Mahavir was fearless. He caught the snake by the tail and threw it away. Another time some giant like being came to frighten him, but Mahavir faced him effectively with his fists.
At a mature age he got married to a girl named Yashoda and by that wedding they got a daughter named Priyadarshana. By that time he had observed that worldly happiness and pleasure do not last and are based mostly on the inconvenience, miseries and unhappiness of others. He had therefore planned to renounce (give up) the worldly life in search of true happiness. But he knew that his parents would be very sad for his renouncing. He therefore decided not to renounce during their lifetime. His parents passed away when he was 28. He therefore was ready to renounce, but postponed it for two years more at the request of his brother.
Finally at the age of 30 he renounced the worldly life. For more than 12 years he observed severe austerities, fasting for most of the time, moving from place to place on foot, facing all types of hardships and distress. During that time he was continually meditating in search of liberation from unhappiness. At last he attained it at the age of 42 and became omniscient (one who knows everything). For 30 years thereafter he taught the people about the path of achieving real and lasting happiness. He set up afresh the religious order which is called Tirth and therefore he is known as the 24th Tirthankar of the current time cycle. In his teaching he laid emphasis on nonviolence, restraint, equanimity and tolerance for others' views. He left his mortal body at the age of 72. This event is known as Nirvana, which occurred on the last day of our Indian calendar and is celebrated since then as Diwali or Deepawali (festival of lights). The path that he taught has remained live and is known as Jainism.
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LORD MAHÄVIR AND CHANDKAUSHIK
In ancient times there was a monk who used to observe severe austerities with a view to achieving spiritual upliftment. He had however not gained right perception. Consequently he did not pay attention to maintaining equanimity and he used to indulge in defiling instincts. He could not see his own faults and could get mad at the slightest excuse. Once, while he was going for alms a small frog was trampled under his foot. There was a trainee with him. He pointed out that the frog was crushed by the monk and suggested that he should atone for the resultant violence. But the monk did not heed to him. The trainee thought that the monk would atone for that later on. He pointed out the incident in the afternoon, but the monk did not seem to care for that. On the contrary he frowned at the trainee for reminding him of the incident. During evening Pratikraman too the monk did not atone for that violence. The trainee therefore again pointed out that the monk had forgotten to atone for the violence. Thereupon the monk got infuriated and rushed to hit the trainee. As the trainee saw him approaching with the clenched fist, he withdrew from his way. Since it was dark, the monk could not see properly. Rushing in high rage, he happened to hit a pole whereby he was severely hurt in the head and died shortly afterwards.
On account of the austerities not associated with right perception, the monk was born in the lower heaven. From there he was reborn as the son of a hermit belonging to Kaushik family. When his father died, the son became the head of that hermitage which was located not very far from the city of Shwetambi. On account of the fiery instinct inherited from his earlier birth, he used to get mad even for trivial matter. He zealously guarded the hermitage from encroachments and did not