Jain Story Book

Author(s): Manu Doshi
Publisher: Manu Doshi

Page 32

12 rounds. He therefore stayed with the family for 12 years more. Shrimati thereafter gracefully permitted him to renounce.
Ardrakumar who was now known as Ardrak Muni was very keen to be the pupil of Lord Mahavir who was that time camping at Räjgruhi. He was also eager to see his benefactor Abhaykumar. He therefore proceeded towards Räjgruhi. On the way he came across the men who were entrusted by his father to keep watch over him. They could not face his father because of their failure to keep proper watch. They had therefore followed him to India and were looking for him. As it was not possible for them to go back to their country, they were passing their time aimlessly and were surviving on burglary. Ardrak Muni had deep compassion for their fate and advised them to lead renounced life like himelf. All of them considered him as their master and were willing to follow him; so the Muni accepted them as his pupils and went ahead along with them.
Later on, they passed by a hermitage where the Muni saw meat being sun-dried. On enquiring he learnt that its inmates had funny notions about nonviolence. They thought that they should subsist on meat of elephant, because by killing only one animal they could get enough food for all of them to survive for many days. The hermitage was therefore known as elephantine hermitage. One elephant was tied in its compound for being slaughtered. As Ardrak Muni realized the fate of the elephant, he got overcome with compassion for the animal. That induced the elephant to pay its homage to the Muni. It got untied and ran towards the Muni. All the people got scared and tried to hide in safe place to protect themselves from the wrath of the animal, but Muni stood there unscared. As the elephant was rushing straight towards him, the people thought that Muni would get killed. The elephant however calmly approached the Muni and gently stroked his feet with its trunk. Muni blessed it kind heartedly. Then feeling free and gratified, the elephant went away towards forest.
The hermits got very enraged at the Muni who had apparantly caused them the loss of food. The Muni explained to them that they had misunderstood the concept of religion. There is no nonviolence without compassion. In fact, they are two sides of the same coin. Distinction should therefore be made between gross violence and subtle violence. There is too much gross violence in killing an animal with highly sensitive nervous system. Animal life has far greater sensitivity than plant life. Observation of absolute nonviolence is not possible, as long as a person breathes. Therefore nonviolence, for practical purposes, should be taken as total avoidance of all gross violence and resorting to minimum possible subtle violence that may be necessitated for survival. Killing an elephant amounts to very gross violence that cannot be justified. The hermits realized the truth of his teaching and repented for the violence that they had indulged in. Since they were receptive, Muni explained to them the true religion in detail. In the end, they decided to be his followers. Muni however advised them to go to Lord Mahavir for becoming His pupils.
At last Ardrak Muni arrived in Räjgruhi. He first went to Lord's assmbly for most humbly offering obeisance to Him. Then he saw Abhaykumar and showed his utmost gratitude for drawing his attention towards true religion by sending the idol of Lord Adinäth. Abhaykumar humbly stated that the Muni was destined to be enlightened and he was simply instrumental in bringing it about. He showed his deep reverence for the Muni and paid homage to him. King Shrenik also came to
the Muni and praised him for the miracles that he had performed with the elephant and the hermits. Then Muni stayed with Lord Mahavir as His pupil. For the rest of his life he scrupulously
observed all the restraints of a monk and in the end attained salvation.
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ABHAYKUMAR AND CHANDAPRADYOT