Jain Story Book

Author(s): Manu Doshi
Publisher: Manu Doshi

Page 41

Since Rohineya had voluntarily confessed and had willingly returned everything that he had picked up during burglaries, the king decided to pardon him and permitted him to be the Lord's monk. Rohineya was highly repentant for what he had done till then. He started observing severe austerities in order to erase the karmas acquired by his misdeeds. When his body was unable to bear more, he adopted Anashan (Avoiding food and staying in meditation) with the permission of the Lord and attained real heaven at the end of that life.
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ABHAYKUMAR AND MÄTANGPATI
King Shrenik loved his queen Chellana very much. Once he decided to construct a special palace for her. At his bidding Abhaykumar arranged for a magnificent palace erected on one single pillar. People marvelled to see such a palace. All sorts of comforts and luxuries were provided there. Around the palace, he also arranged for setting up a beautiful garden with specially bred plants and trees that gave different types of flowers and fruits all the year round. Chellana was very pleased with this garden. She used to pluck the flowers herself for adoring her hairs and also for preparing garland for her husband. Shrenik thus used to enjoy there every pleasure of life along with his beloved queen.
There was an aboriginal tribe known as Matang. They used to undertake the cleaning work of the city. Their chief known as Mätangpati was a highly accomplished man. Once his wife, while she was pregnant, begot a strong urge to eat mangoes. She therefore asked her husband to get mangoes. Mätangpati ridiculed her untimely desire because it was not the mango season. She however pointed out that the mango trees of queen Chellana's garden used to yield mangoes throughout the year and asked him to get mangoes from that garden. Mätangpati could stay invisible. He could therefore enter the garden unnoticed. High up on the trees he saw the mangoes. By his magic spell he charmed one branch of the mango tree to bend down. He then plucked the mangoes from that branch and took them home. His wife thanked him very much for bringing the delicious mangoes.
In the morning, as the queen came for plucking the flowers, she noticed the loss of mangoes. She therefore asked the gardener to keep better watch. The second night too, Mätangpati came there at the instance of his wife and plucked away the mangoes. The next morning the gardener was scared to notice the loss of the mangoes once again. He reported to the queen that he had been vigilant throughout and did not notice any one else coming within. Somehow however the mangoes had again disappeared from the same mango tree. It was hard for Chellana to believe that any burglar could dare to enter her garden. She however made arrangements for additional watchmen to protect the garden from any unauthorized entry. As Mätangpati's wife could not resist the temptation of eating the delicious mangoes, the disappearance of mangoes continued. Thereupon, Chellana brought this mysterious disappearance to the notice of the king.
Shrenik was wild to know that any one in his kingdom could dare to indulge in such burglary. He instructed Abhaykumar to get hold of the burglar anyhow. Abhaykumar kept vigilant watch during the night. He also could not notice any one even approaching the garden. Yet he noticed in the morning that some mangoes had disappeared. The next night he decided to keep closer watch. By his minute observation he could notice at midnight, the lowering of the branch of the mango tree and the mangoes being plucked without any one getting within the garden. He could make out that there was some invisible hand involved. Then, he arranged for the expert force of watchmen to stay concealed near the mango tree. Next night Mätangpati came to the garden and charmed the mango tree as usual. But as soon as the mango tree bent down, the watchmen came out of their hiding place and surrounded the tree as per instructions of Abhaykumar.