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"I was a victim of that dreaded disease, cancer. My condition was fast deteriorating to the point where taking solid food had become impossible for me and, of late, it was difficult to swallow even liquids. Agonising pain and thirst were becoming increasingly unbearable. I was receiving penicillin injections every four hours but without any relief.
In that dark hour of despair, I came to realise that my last hour was fast approaching and all efforts to stem the inevitable were futile. At that moment, words heard at a religious discourse many years ago, flashed before my mind's eye. They were to the effect that even if one had failed to live religiously during one's whole lifetime, if, in the dying moments, one invokes benign sentiments of universal amity with the world at large by repentantly begging forgiveness for one's past misdeeds and then, in such a mood of humility and peace, resorts to meditative recitation of the Navakära (Namaskära Mantra), one may rest assured of one's spiritual elevation in the birth to come. With such spiritual elevation in view, I began reciting the super hymn, the Navakära. I told my doctor to stop all treatment from then on and that I did not wish to take anything, not even water.
I begged the forgiveness of all living beings and invoked universal friendship. Then I embarked upon a fervent recitation of the Navkära in prayerful mood. The scene around my bed was emotionally charged with grief and sorrow, as all the members of my family joined me in the solemn chant with tears in their eyes.
I continued with it until about eleven o'clock at night, when suddenly I vomited. I threw up so much that the receptacle was full and I swooned into unconsciousness. The members of the family took this as a parting sign and broke into loud sobs. I, however, regained my senses after a while and felt slightly better. I asked for water and drank quite a few pints. I carried on with the Navkära recitation. Later I dozed off to sleep and slept like a log. In the morning, when I awoke, I felt quite refreshed."
Mr Guläbchand Shah then says that he went to see his doctor afterwards who was very surprised to see him, as the doctor had thought that Mr Shah was not even capable of walking a few steps. The doctor advised Mr Shäh to continue with the treatment. Mr Shäh agreed on that and he was also treated for cancer therapy. Mr Shäh however firmly believes that it was the power of the Namaskära Mantra, which cured his cancer. He says: "The dreadful plight of that awful night is now a thing of the past for me, with fifteen long years intervening between then and now. I was saved by the Namaskära Mantra and given a new lease of life.”
The second narration is that of Arjun Mäli, which is quite ancient, and it appears in a Jain scripture called the Gyäta Dharma Kathä.
One day Lord Mahävira arrived in the park situated on the outskirts of the city of Räjgir, in Bihär. He was to deliver a sermon there but no one came out of the town to hear Him, because everyone was afraid of a man called Arjun Mäli.
In the same town there was a young man called Sudarshana, who wanted to go to the park to listen to the sermon of Lord Mahävira. Sudarshana asked his parents whether he would be allowed to step outside the town or not. His parents obviously were worried about Sudarshana and they were not willing to let Sudarshana go. Sudarshana
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