Rajarshi Prasannachandra

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Vol. II/No. 2. Eternal Wisdom - RAJARSHI PRASANNACHANDRA (Tsift 44905) A Story Once when Bhagawan Mahawir (see end of story), together with his many disciples, was giving his discourses in a garden outside the city of Rajagrihi, among his disciples was Prasannachandra, who was once upon a time a king, but now was adorned by the jewel of perfect non-attachment (a trz). The Rajarshi (i.e. king-asectic) was standing at one end of the garden in deep Dhyana (meditation), which was carriedout while performing severe penance (914 - Tapa): He was standing on one foot, his two hands were held up, and his eyes were fixed on the sun ! The Lord of the kingdom of Magadha - of which Rajagrihi was the capital - Maharaja Shrenika, came to know of the arrival of the Bhagawan, and so with his full retinue and pomp, he set forth towards the garden for the holy Darshana (i.e. to see the holy presence ). There were two soldiers walking at the helm of the royal procession, and their eyes fell on the Rajarshi. One of them said: " Blessed is this muni (saint)! Who can emulate him in such severe penance ?" When the other heard him, he said : "My friend! What is so great about this !? He left his helpless baby-son on the throne, to do such penances; and gave all the powers of the state to his ministers, and now the ministers are plotting to annihilate the child-king. They will surely kill him and capture for themselves the kingdom of Potanpur, whose king was this Prasannachandra. Thus there will be a tragic end to his reign! So, I abhor and detest from the bottom of my heart this so called great asectic, who has not even cared for his own son! Let there be no son in this whole world, who gets a father like him!"