King Hansa

Author(s): JAINA Education Committee
Publisher: JAINA Education Committee

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KING HANSA King Hansa disclosing the truth despite of danger to his life At once, a dev (demigod / angel) appeared and said, "Oh, king! I am overwhelmed by your truthfulness and compassion. I have captured King Arjun, made him a prisoner, and have given control of your kingdom back to your ministers. Today is a great day for worship, but the temple is too far from here. There is no way you can reach there in time. My chariot is at your service. Please let me take you there." King Hansa was surprised by the miraculous turn of events. In the company of the dev (demigod / angel), he reached the summit of Mount Ratnasringa in time to worship. The demigod then escorted him back to his kingdom. King Hansa pardoned King Arjun and released his soldiers immediately. The angel appointed four lieutenants to look after the safety of the king and his kingdom and then departed. King Hansa once again ruled the city of Rajpur and the people were happy. The main theme here is the importance of the Jain principles of truthfulness and non-violence, and their interrelationship. Sometimes, following one Jain principle blindly can lead to the violation of another principle, which is what King Hansa was faced with on multiple occasions. He thought about each situation carefully and found a very creative, smart, and beneficial solution without violating any principles and without hurting anyone. This showed his devotion and adherence to Jainism. When faced with Arjun's soldiers in the last situation, he told the truth since no other people or principles were involved, even though it meant the end of his life. He once again stuck to his Jain principles, even though he might have been killed for it. JAIN STORY BOOK 153