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Then O Megha! Having scratched you thought “I should put the leg down” but you saw the rabbit sitting there and out of compassion for that living being you held that leg and kept it lifted only and did not put it down.
O Megha! Due to that compassion for the living being you reduced your worldly transmigration and bonded the human rebirth giving karma.
Comments - In this aphorism there are two results of compassion mentioned here. 1. Reduction in worldly transmigration and 2. Bonding the auspicious karma that yield human rebirth from one of an elephant. Such auspicious karmic bondage due to compassion must motivate all for undertaking acts of compassion. In the act of compassion by the elephant there was no feeling of attachment or selfishness. The feeling of saving a life motivated his compassion. It is this form of compassion that helps one in attaining spiritual emancipation and eventual liberation. It is worth mentioning that in the very next birth the elephant was reborn as Meghakumāra and was liberated.
Anassuyāe nam jive aņukampae anubbhade vigaya-soge carittamohaniijari kammam khaveil
- Uttarādhyayanasūtra, 29.29. That is, - Due to detachment and compassion the soul sheds all misery and becomes unperturbed and sheds conduct-deluding karma to attain full freedom from attachment.
Rāgo jassa pasattho aņukampāsamsido ya pariņāmo ! Cittamhi natthi kalussaṁ punņam jīvassa āsavadi ||
- Pañcāstikāya, 135. That is - The inner self of one who is endowed with noble attachment and compassionate feelings does not harbour any blemish and he earns meritorious and auspicious karmic bondage.
Punnāsavamūdhā anukampā suddhao a uvajoo |
Vivario pāvassa hu
āsavaheum viyānāhi ||
- Jayadhavalā, Book 1, p. 96.
Appendices
215
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