Lord Mahavira Vol 01

Author(s): S C Rampuria
Publisher: Jain Vishva Bharati Institute

Page 93

84
Lord Mahâvîra
thought and unprecedented. "Bhante! Verily do they remove all ties. While delineating the Law, you have spoken at length on the tranquilisation of passion. In explaining the tranquilisation of passions, you have analysed the awakened conscience. In analysing the awakened conscience, you have narrated the process of concentrating into one's own self. In narrating the process of concentration, you have emphasized on the need to prevent the degeneration of the soul into an inferior (sinful) state. "Bhante! There is no other Sramana or Mahana who can expound religion in such an exquisite manner, what to speak of excelling you." So saying, people went back in the direction from which they came. In that period, at that time, Sramana Bhagavan Mahâvîra had as his senior-most disciple, a homeless monk, named Indrabhûti who belonged to the Gautama line. He was seven cubits in height. His body-structure was a graceful square, well balanced in all respects. The joints of his bones were very strong. The glow of his body was akin to a golden line drawn on a black stone and complexion as white as that of a lotus. He was a hard penancer, a burning penancer, a purified penancer, a great penancer, a tremendous penancer, conqueror of hardship-senses-passions, holder of highest virtues, a great sage, Brahmacari of the highest order, careless of his physical frame, centred within his body but capable to burn things over distant regions with his superhuman capacity, sat neither near nor far from Bhagavan Mahâvîra, with his thighs erect and face cast low, (in utkatuka posture), fully concentrated within self in meditation, enriching his soul by restraint and penance.
Afterwards Gautama had a feeling of desire, doubt and curiosity, had a genesis of desire, doubt and curiosity, had the acquisition of desire, doubt and cruiosity, had the personification of a desire, doubt and curiosity in him, and he stood up.
Then he came where Bhagavan Mahâvîra was, thrice moved round him and paid his homage and obeisance. Then standing neither near nor very far from him, with full attention and face turned towards him, with folded hands, while worshiping, he made the following submission:
Gautama: "Bhante! Does a living being get entangled in sinful karma in case he has not practised restraint, he has done