Monk and Monarch

Author(s): Vidyavijay
Publisher: Deepchand Banthia

Page 55

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name was Hirvijaysuri. These two returned to the Emperor and told him all they had heard. The Emperor soon called Itmadkhan, who had stayed in Gujarat for long, and asked him about the Suri. Itmadkhan gave a very favourable report about the Suri, saying that he was a true Fakir, he never used any vehicles or luxuries and never came in contact with ladies. He always travelled on foot.
After this, once the Emperor saw a large procession from his balcony. He asked Todarmalla as to whose procession it was; and Todarmalla replied that it was the procession of Champa who had successfully completed her six months' fast. The Emperor very courteously invited Champa to his palace and personally asked her all details about her fast. She told the same thing and stressed that it was due to the power of her Guru Hirvijaysuri that she was able to complete her long fast. The Emperor was much pleased by this and gave to Champa a golden bangle and also offered his own musical instruments for the procession. Champa had also informed him that the Suri was then at Gandhar in Gujarat.
Akbar became anxious to see such a Guru. He at once called Manu Kalyan, Thansingh Ramji and Dharmasi Panyas and asked them to invite the Suri to Agra on behalf of their Sangha. The Shravakas accordingly sent a letter to the Suri, and the Emperor wrote a letter to Shihabkhan, the governor of Gujarat, asking him to send Hirvijaysuri to Agra with all respect, providing him with all comforts on the way, including palanquins, horses and elephants. He sent two Mewrahs? with these letters. "Hirsaubhagya" poem gives 'Maundi' and 'Kamal' as the names of these two carriers.
In those days means of communications were necessarily slow, and so these two letter-bearers took many days to reach Ahamadabad. They, on reaching there, delivered both the letters to Shihabkhan. On reading these letters, Shihabkhan was surprised. He remembered that he had formerly molested the Suri, but he had to carry out the royal orders. He at once called the leaders of the Ahamadabad Jain community, read out the letters to them, and impressed upon them that they should anyhow request the