Sachitra Shraman Bhagwan Mahavir

Author(s): M Subba Rao
Publisher: Sanmati Haidarabad

Page 98

40. यक्ष के ऊपर विजय
बाद में श्री महावीर स्वामी उसी गाँव में शूलपाणियक्ष के मंदिर को, अपनी ध्यान के लिए अच्छी जगह समझकर चुन लिये। वहाँ के गाँववासी वहाँ ध्यान करने के लिए मना किये थे। कारण पूछने पर गाँव वासियों ने कहा - यहाँ शूलपाणी यक्ष नामक एक राक्षस हैं। वह नरभक्षक राक्षस रात में घूमता रहता है। अगर भूल से कोई मानव उस मंदिर के प्रांगण में रात में जाते हुए देखा तो सुबह होते ही उस मानव का केवल कंकाल ही बचा रहता है। उस राक्षस के कारण ही इस गाँव का नाम अस्तिग्राम रखा गया । धैर्यशाली श्रीमहावीर स्वामी ने इन गाँव वालों की बातें नहीं मानी । उस मंदिर के प्रांगण में पद्मासन युक्त, अंतर मुक होकर ध्यान में निमग्न हुए थे। आधी रात को एक बडी चीख सुनाई पड़ी । महावीर स्वामी निडर होकर अपने ध्यान में डूबकर, अंचचल दीक्षा में एकाग्रचित्त मन से आत्म दर्शन कर रहे थे। तभी शूलपाणि यक्ष कई प्रकार से विध्न डाले । लेकिन महावीर की तपोबल के सामने उस यक्ष के सारे प्रयत्न विफल हो गये । अन्त में वह यक्ष महावीर के पैरों में गिर कर स्वामी को प्रणाम करके वह खुद उस जगह को छोड़कर चला गया। विजय पानेवाले महावीर वहाँ के लोगों को आशीर्वाद देकर उत्तराचल की ओर चल पडे।
40 VICTORY OVER THE YAKSHA
Next on the outskirts of Asthigrama, Bhagawan Mahavira selected a temple called Shulapaniyaksha to continue his meditation. Then the villagers tried to restrain him from carrying out his plan. The Bhagawan was surprised and wanted to know the reason for this strange request. Then people informed him that certain anthropophagous Yaksha by name Shulapani was stalking persons moving in that area. If any unsuspecting mortal should stray into the area in the night, only his skeleton would remain in the morning. It was for this reason that the village came to be called "Asthi". As is to be expected, Mahavira must have smiled at this account and he sat in the temple in the posture of Padmasana and turning his mind inwards, fell into deep meditation. The unearthly hour arrived and the Yaksha, waxing in strength, soon reached the temple and yelled in a heart-rending manner. Shri Mahavira heard it in his Dhyana but was not distrubed at all and continued with his meditation. The Yaksha now tried his best to distract the Swami from his meditation, as his efforts to swallow him and eat him up came to nought. Thus the fiendish strength of the Yaksha was no match for the ascetic power of Bhagawan Mahavira. The Yaksha was now divested of his pride and fell at the feet of the Swami to forgive him for his ignorance. Now a strange thing happened - Bhagawan Mahavira did not want to displace the Yaksha from his natural habitat and so he the Bhagawan himself left the place and proceeded to another spot in the
direction of the North, but not before blessing the local people.