Jain Story Book

Author(s): Manu Doshi
Publisher: Manu Doshi

Page 78

Then came the turn of Rohini. When Dhanya asked for those five grains, she replied that she had sent them to her father and needed cart loads for bringing the same back. Dhanya feigned amazement and asked her why she needed that much transportation for bringing back those five grains. Thereupon Rohini told him how they were grown season after season. Dhanya was very pleased. He was sure that the girl would not only maintain the prosperity and reputation of the family but would also extend the same. He said that she had taken true care of the grains. He congratulated her for rightly understanding the purpose of his handing over those grains.
The next day he called all the family members for distributing the work. The entire management and planning was entrusted to Rohini; custody of the treasury and other valuables was entrusted to Rakshikä who had properly preserved the grains; kitchen work and cooking were entrusted to Bhogavati who had eaten away the grains and the work of cleanliness and garbage was handed over to Ujjikä who had thrown them away.
This story tells us how the discretion and wisdom can lead to growth and prosperity. There is however a special religious significance of this story. Five grains stand for the five Anuvratas and the father in law stands for the preceptor who asks every one to carefully and meaningfully observe those Vratas. Some people are like Ujjikä who do not attach any importance to the Vratas and cast the teaching of preceptors to the wind. Some are like Bhogavati who listen to the preceptors but do not realize the usefulness of the Vratas. Most of the people, who go for the sermons, belong to this category. They carefully listen and like the sermon but do not take home anything. Some are like Rakshikä. They understand the importance of the Vratas and carefully observe the same. But they do not realize that Vratas are meant for the realization of true Self.
Very few people are like Rohini who realize the importance of Vratas. For them external observance of Vratas is only a means to the true realization of Self. They observe them to an ever increasing extent and try to figure out to what extent they are helpful in getting rid of the inner enemies of craving and aversion. As the grains sown in the ground lose their identity and develop into a plant, so the observance of Vratas too is meant for the growth of the spiritual values.
This story was told by Sudharmäswämi to Jambuswämi. He told at the end that only the souls belonging to the last category proceed on the path of liberation.
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SUBHADRÄ
In ancient times a king named Jitashatru was ruling over the city of Vasantpur. He had a wise and capable minister named Jindäs. As per his name Jindas was a devotee of Jainism and was helpful in running the administration in accordance with the Jain tenets. By his wife Tattvamälini he had a daughter who was named Subhadra. She was bright, attractive and lovable. She had the opportunity to study Jainism in depth and was convinced about the truth of that religion.
By the time she became young, Subhadra was well versed in all the aspects of Jainism and enthusiastically performed different religious practices. She was very particular about Sämayika which she regularly performed in true spirit. That not only enabled her to get the glimpse of the true self, but also gave her the peace and tranquillity of the mind. The charm and beauty, that she had been endowed with from the beginning, continued to increase with the passage of time. Many young people therefore longed to marry her. In order to avert any conflict of faith, her father had decided to get her married to the person who had faith in Jainism.