Prince Shrenik Diwakar Chitrakatha 015

Author(s): Devendramuni, Shreechand Surana
Publisher: Mahavir Seva Trust Mumbai

Page 36

(LOVE FOR HATE)
It was a blistering hot day in the mid-summer month, when a man with the unmistakable stamp of divinity on his face, was walking along a path covered with sharp stones and thorns. His eyes shone with infinite kindness and his face was radiant as the moon.
A herdsman coming from the opposite direction addressed him respectfully, "Master, why do you go this way ? It is lonely way where even beasts are afraid to go. There lives a terrible king cobra called Chandakaushik that waylays the wayfarers." However, the great man went his way despite the warning. Some distance away there was an ant-hill. The land around it looked lonely and deserted. The man halted and looked around. The scent of a human being drew the terrible snake out of the ant-hill. Even as he darted out at lightening speed, he was amazed at the fearlessness of the man who dared to stand at the very mouth of his dwelling! Mad with rage, the cobra bit the man's foot, emptying his fangs of their deadly poison, and raising his head, watched his victim. To his surprise he saw milk tricking out of the wound.
"Aspirin is okay for headaches, but lovin' is best for heartaches."
Has anyone ever seem milk instead of blood, tricking out of a living being ? Ah, yes ! Does not the blood in a woman's breasts change into milk when she becomes a mother ? It is because of her love for her new born baby that causes this transformation. How could the cobra comprehend the fact that every cell of this great man Bhagwan Mahavir was filled with all pervading love for every living being on earth and the blood in his body was transformed into milk by this miracle of love. LOVE EVER GIVES AND FORGIVES.
The three aspects of love seen in Bhagwan Mahavir's life depicted in this story is very obvious. Through his long inner search and self-realization he came to awareness that all life is potentially same. This awareness unlocked the loving feeling towards all-friend of foe, and the loving feeling lead to loving action. So when the cobra bit him he did not get angry but instead showered loving compassion by his unthreatening presence. This is the true portrayal of unconditional love.
Jai Jinendra -PRAMODA CHITRABHANU