Mokshamala

Author(s): Manu Doshi
Publisher: Manu Doshi

Page 27

In order to satisfy her desire the man went to the garden. While secretly approaching the mango tree he bent it down by reciting a mantra and plucked a few mangoes. Then by reciting another mantra he made the tree straight and went home with the mangoes. Thereafter he regularly started bringing mangoes from the tree for the sake of satisfying his wife.
While the gardener was once taking a round, he noticed that the mangoes were missing. Thereupon he went to the king and informed him about the theft with utter humility. Shrenik entrusted the task of finding the thief to his chief minister Abhaykumär. The latter could locate the Chändäl by exercising an intelligent device. As the thief was brought into his presence, Abhaykumar asked, "In spite of so many guards in the garden how could you reach the mango tree unnoticed and pluck the mangoes looming so high?”
The man replied, "Sire, I am telling the truth; please forgive me for my fault; I know a mantra by virtue of which I could pluck the mangoes."
Abhaykumär: I am not competent to forgive you. The king would, however, like to learn that mantra. If you therefore teach him the mantra, I can persuade him to forgive you in return for teaching it.
As the man agreed, Abhaykumär brought him to the royal throne and informed the king about what had happened. As the king was willing to learn the mantra, the man started teaching him while standing with trembling feet in front of the throne. Shrenik, however failed to learn it. Thereupon Abhaykumär pointed out, "Your majesty, if you are really intent upon learning, please come down the throne and give it to this man." As the king did accordingly, he could immediately learn the mantra.
This tale provides a lesson. Even the king Shrenik could not learn the mantra without showing respect to a lowly Chändäl. What we have to learn from it is to show due respect for accomplishing anything. How blissful could it be, if we respect the disentangled Guru so as to gain self-realization?
Reverence is a great virtue that can yield everything. Uttaradhyayan Sutra calls it the basis of religion. To respect Gurus, monks, learned, parents and elders is the sign of our elevation.
Lesson 33: Sheth Sudarshan
In ancient times there had been several people in India who were wedded to monogamy. One of them was Sheth Sudarshan, who has been famous for strictly observing it even at the cost of bearing distress. He was middle aged, bright, handsome and well to do. Once he had to pass by the royal court on some business. While he was passing by, the queen Abhayä saw him from her gallery and got enamored of his handsome look. She sent her maid after him and called him to the palace on an apparently innocent excuse. After talking to him a little she invited him to make love with her. Sudarshan tried to dissuade her from that motive with appropriate words. Since her mind, however, did not calm down, Sudarshan got tired and professed to be impotent. The queen still tried to excite him with various gestures. Since that did not help. she let him go in desperation.
Once there was a festival in the city and the people were leisurely moving here and there. It was a joyful occasion and Sudarshan's six sons also had been there. Queen Abhaya had come there with all the splendor and decorations. She saw those six young boys, who looked divinely handsome. When she asked her maid Kapilä about their parentage, Kapilä replied that they were the sons of Sudarshan. The queen was shocked to hear it. She virtually missed a heart-beat to realize how she had been befooled by Sudarshan.
After the festival was over, she went to the king along with Kapilä and deceitfully said, "You might be thinking that justice and morality prevail in your kingdom and the people have not to face wickedness, but that is wrong. When the wicked people dare to enter even the harem, what sort of security can be expected at other places? Sheth Sudarshan invited me to make love with him; I had to hear his sensuous words that I cannot repeat. I, of course, drove him away in despise, but what greater darkness could there be?"