Jain Story Book

Author(s): Manu Doshi
Publisher: Manu Doshi

Page 50

Once again, there was a wild fire in your forest. All the animals came running and took refuge on that stretch. You also were there. During that time, you raised your foot to scratch your body on account of itching. That very time a rabbit was pushed in that space by the pressure of other animals. As you tried to put the foot back, you felt the presence of the rabbit and decided to hold the foot up in order to save it. The fire raged for two and a half day during which you continued to hold your foot up out of the compassion for the rabbit.
At the end of fire as the animals retreated, you tried to lower your foot. It was however too much stiffened during that time. You could not maintain your balance and fell down. You felt agonizing pain and could not get up. That way you spent three days and night facing much affliction and acute pain. Ultimately you left that body and were born here as the prince of Shrenik, as a result of your compassion for the rabbit. If you could face that much distress for the sake of rabbit and gained the valuable human life in return, how come you cannot face the foot dirt of your fellow monks in the interest of gaining lasting happiness?"
Meghakumar was impressed by the Lord's words and realized that he should stay on in his own interest. He requested the Lord to initiate him afresh since he had virtually broken his vow of the monkhood by strongly desiring the worldly life. The Lord did accordingly and Meghamuni, as he was called after that, started leading rigorous, austere life. Fasting for days together, he stayed, most of time, in meditation in order to eradicate his Karmas. The Lord and Gautamswami too praised him for that. When his body became very weak and could no longer observe the rigors of monkhood, he decided to observe fast unto death. That he did for a month on mount Vaibhargiri near Rajgrihi and got born in heaven. The Lord has stated to Gautamswami that at the end of the heavenly life, he would be reborn in Mahavideha and would attain salvation.
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SHRENIK AND HIS DESTINY
In times of Lord Mahavir Shrenik was the king of Räjqruhi. Chellana was her beloved queen. At her instance, Shrenik too became the follower of Lord Mahavir. As he realized the truth of His teachings, he became a devotee of the Lord and used to go to His assembly whenever the Lord happened to be in Räjgruhi. Once while he was in the assembly as such, he saw a highly diseased disgusting person approaching the Lord. Blood and pus were flowing from his body. The king was highly annoyed to notice that the guy was applying the blood and pus on the body of the Lord. That time the Lord sneezed and the guy responded by wishing death for Him. That enraged the king. Then Abhayakumar, the eldest son of the king sneezed and the guy responded by saying 'Live or die whichever you like.' The king could not make out what the guy meant thereby. Then the butcher Kalsaurik sneezed and the guy wished him neither life nor death. Then the king sneezed and the guy responded by wishing him long life. The king thought that the guy was at least afraid of him.
Shrenik was puzzled to listen to the confusing utterances of the guy. Being infuriated at the audacity of the guy in applying blood etc. to the Lord, he had instructed his men to arrest the guy as soon as he turns out of the assembly. His guards were therefore waiting outside and rushed at the guy as he came out. The guy however had some miraculous power and he disappeared before those men could get hold of him. The guard then reported to the king what had happened. Shrenik could not make out the mysterious emergence and disappearance of the guy or his equally mysterious utterances. He therefore decided to ask the Lord about that.
The next day, as the king came to the assembly, he requested the Lord about the same. The Lord replied that the guy had been a heavenly being and had come to worship Him. He had really