Jain Story Book

Author(s): Manu Doshi
Publisher: Manu Doshi

Page 31

Abhaykumar very much appreciated that gesture. He was aware that the people of that island knew nothing about the true religion. 'Attracting him to religion could therefore be the greatest gift for Ärdrakumar' he thought. With that view in mind, Abhaykumar sent to him a very impressive idol of Adinäth. Ardrakumar had never seen such an idol. For him it was simply a statue. He however faintly felt that he had somewhere seen such shape. As he tried to think over it again and again, he got a spark of his earlier life. He remembered that he was an ordinary man of Vasantpur in Magadha and had a wife named Bandhumati. Both of them develpoed detachment on hearing the sermon of an Acharya named Susthitji and had renounced. Once as they were camping in the same town, he happened to see her and had got an urge to make love with her. Bandhumati of course did not comply. It was therefore merely a mental lapse on his part. Still as a consequence thereof he had been born in that solitary island, where true religion had been unknown.
Ärdrakumar now started devoutly worshipping the idol in secrecy. He felt very grateful to Abhaykumar for the gift of the idol and was craving to see him. His father however would not allow him to go abroad. In order to prevent him from undertaking any adventure, the king instructed a band of selected chiefs to keep close watch over him. Ardrakumar therefore created confidence among them by his reliable behavior which caused them to relax their alertness. Meanwhile, he made secret arrangements for a ship and making sure that no one was watching him, one day he sailed to India.
Ärdrakumar was keen to undo his lapse of the earlier life. Therefore despite the foreboding indications, he renounced as soon as he arrived in India and started moving as a possessionless monk. Once he came to Vasantpur which was his dwelling place in the earlier life. He thought to meditate there in a temple. Now Bandhumati was reborn there as daughter of a wealthy trader and was named Shrimati. While Ardrakumar was meditating in standing posture, she came there to play along with her girl friends. As a part of the game, each girl had to select one of the poles as symbol of husband. When Shrimati's turn came, she somehow caught the feet of Ardrakumar and stated that he was her husband. Ardrakumar was taken aback by this incident. As he did not want to get any way involved, he left the place as soon as the girls went home.
As Shrimati attained marriageable age, her father started looking for a suitable match for her. She had however not forgotten her play and wanted to marry that monk. Her father did not want to displease her, but he could not make out how it would be possible to locate and recognize the monk whom she had seen only for a moment. She however told her father that while holding the feet of the monk, she had noticed an indelible mark there and could therefore easily recognize him, if he came around. Thereupon her father arranged for her to give alms to every monk that passed that side. That arrangement continued for a long time. Shrimati however did not lose patience. Eventually Ardrakumar happened to come there once again. As he came for alms, Shrimati immediately recognized him by that mark and held his feet. She said that she had selected him as her husband and had been waiting for him all that time; she could no longer live without him and would court death, if he tried to leave again. It was hard for Ardrakumar to resist her love. He realized that his renouncement was untimely and it was destined for him to lead worldly life for some time. He also recalled that all the indications at the time of his renunciation were unpropitious. He therefore decided to accept Shrimati as his wife.
After spending a few years in mutual adoration and attraction, the couple got a son. When he was still a boy, Ardrakumar thought once again to renounce. He asked his wife to let him go on his mission, since she could happily lead her life in bringing up the son. Shrimati did not like the idea of his leaving, but she had no ground to refuse. She sat at her spinning wheel with tears rolling over her cheeks. As the boy enquired about the cause, she said that his father was to leave and they would thenceforth be required to lead the lonely life. Innocent as he was, the boy said that he would bind his father so that he could not go. So saying he wound the spun yarn round his father's feet. Ardrakumar was so overwhelmed with the innocent love of the boy that he decided to stay for as many years as the rounds of thread on his feet. When he counted them, there were