Journey Into Jainism

Author(s): Smitpragyashreeji, Vishrutvibhashreeji
Publisher: B Jain Publishers Pvt Ltd

Page 82

The Value of Humbleness
73
I told him that it was clearly the footprint of a female elephant. The leaves of the tree only on one side of the road had been eaten, and so I knew that she was oneeyed. Because only royalty ride on elephants, and the elephant was a female, it must have been a queen who was riding the elephant.” Asked about the queen's pregnancy, he replied, “when the queen got down from the elephant, she left imprints of her palm on the ground; since the lines of her palm were vivid on the soil, I thought that she was expecting a child."
The guru asked about the second incident. The impolite pupil said that while the old woman was talking with them, her pitcher fell down and so he thought that her son had died.
The polite pupil said, “I saw that the water got mixed with water of the river and the pitcher, made of soil, got mixed in soil. The place was clean, so I knew that the old lady would meet her son."
Having heard the explanations of both the pupils the Guru reprimanded his impolite pupil: “I never taught these things to your colleague. He used his own wisdom which he attained through humbleness and so he was successful in his work. Because of your rude behaviour, you could not develop your wisdom.” The impolite pupil bent down his head and stood there feeling ashamed.
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