Book Title: Narrative Tale in Jain Literature
Author(s): Satyaranjan Banerjee
Publisher: Asiatic Society

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Page 107
________________ 92 NARRATIVE TALE IN JAIN LITERATURE when a Kadamba unfolds itself in response to a shower of rain; thus she gazed at the holy monk Mahāvira without averting her eyes. "Why, Master," said the venerable Goyama to the holy monk Mahāvīra, "does the Brahman woman Devānandā gaze...(thus)...without averting her eyes ?" “Hear, Goyama," said Mahāvīra, "the Brahman woman Devānandā is my mother, I am the son of the Brahman woman Devānandā. That is why the Brahman woman Devānandā gazes at me with tender love, the cause of which is that I first originated in her." (It is then related how Devānandā was received into the Order by Mahāvīra himself.) ABOUT SAMSĀRA AND KARMA About Samsāra ánd Karma from the Bhagavati : "As each mesh in a piece of netting, which is set in a row of meshes, without a gap, occupying a regular and coordinated position in contact with the other meshes, reacts on the next mesh in regard to heaviness, drag, full-weight and closeness, even so in every single soul in many thousands of reincarnations, each one of many thousands of forms of life reacts in regard to heaviness, drag, fullweight and closeness on the life next to it" (5, 3). "This soul of yours, Goyama, has already been incarnated as a mother, father, brother, sister, wife, son, daughter and daughter-in-law, as a foe, adversary. murderer, injurer and opponent, as a prince, royal heir, governor, mayor, magistrate, millionaire, master of guild, commander and merchant, -as a slave, messenger, servant, serf, pupil and domestic, in relation to all souls, and all souls have already been incarnated...(as the same)...in relation to your soul, and that more than once or an endless number of times" (12, 7). “Just as if a man should eat food which tastes delicious, well cooked in a saucepan, and containing the desired quantity of each of the eighteen principal ingredients, but nevertheless mixed with poison, and after having consumed Jain Education International For Private & Personal Use Only www.jainelibrary.org

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