________________
With this revelation, the soldiers started trembling. They, at once, released Mahavir and sought his forgiveness. Shraman Mahavir just raised his palm as a gesture of pardon and assurance and left for some other solitary place. (M-21/2)
ध्वजा
कुम्भ
पदा सरोवर
Deadly Torture by Sangam
One day Shraman Mahavir was doing a special one night meditation in the Polash temple in Pedhal garden outside the Pedhal village. In this practice one makes his body, mind, psyche and soul absolutely still and tranquil. Observing the high degree of engrossment in meditation, Indra exclaimed, “You are great, Prabhu Vardhaman ! Today you have no equal as an ascetic and a serene, brave, and equanimous spiritualist." Sangam, a god in Indra's assembly, was peeved at this praise of a mortal being. He retorted, "If Devraj promises not to interfere, I can disturb the concentration of Mahavir. It is a child's play for me."
Indra remained silent, though unwillingly. Considering it to be affirmative, Sangam, with all his cunning and power came to Polash temple. One after another he created twenty almost fatal predicaments to disturb Mahavir's meditation."
He created a terrible sand storm and in no time Mahavir was submerged in a heap of sand. Mahavir, in his unshakable determination did not even close his eyes. As soon as the storm stopped, arrived a swarm of ants. Mahavir's body was covered with biting and stinging ants, but he remained still. After this, innumerable mosquitos attacked Mahavir's body. After mosquitos, came an attack by white ants turning him into a termite-hill. Scorpions crawled over his body and pierced it with poisonous stings. This was followed by biting by mongoose, large cobras, and giant field rats.
After all this, appeared a wild elephant that goaded Mahavir with its large pointed tusks. This elephant than lifted Mahavir in its trunk and tossed him up. When Mahavir fell on the ground, it crushed him with its legs. This was followed by an attack by an ominous looking ghost. Then a tiger attacked and gored Mahavir with its sharp talons.
When all these painful afflictions failed to disturb Mahavir's meditation, Sangam took a different approach. He created a realistic illusion of Siddharth and Trishla weeping and wailing profusely. But this too could not penetrate Mahavir's iron resolve. Sangam then lit a fire almost touching Mahavir's feet and started cooking. After this he took the form of a bird catcher and hung a number of cages on Mahavir. The birds attacked Mahavir with their beaks and talons through the gaps in the cages. Blood oozed from these new wounds. Then came a storm, torrential rain, and hail-storm. Nothing could disturb the rock hard resolve of Mahavir.
समुद्र
विमानभवन
निधूम अग्नि
Tan
erat : T40T-ita
( 88
)
Bhagavan Mahavir: The Life as an Ascetic
J
S
.
Internation
linelibang
