________________
Earth there was a human called Mahavir whose penance was so intense and steadfast, that nothing could shake him. The Gods were curious about this human who thought he could do penance comparable to the Gods. How could he be so audacious? A human is nothing compared to a God, and so they decided to test Mahavir.
Sangam Dev was sent to test this human, and ascertain the truth of Indra's words.
For six months, he troubled Mahavir. He took the form of a rat, monkey, snake, mongoose, and even an elephant, and troubled him in many ways. However, Mahavir did not stir. They say that when Mahavir was in deep meditation, Sangam Dev took the form of a boulder weighing a hundred tons and then fell on the Lord's head and pushed him deep into the earth, upto his shoulders.. The Lord remained unmoved. Finally, Sangam Dev understood that what Indra was saying was the truth, and a human can awaken such powers within himself.
Lord Mahavir was a tirthankara. Who are tirthankaras? Not every individual can become a tirthankara, They are special beings. Their bodies are considered "vajra"- harder and tougher than steel. Vajra can be explained in this way: when a car that weighs a 100 tons rolls over that individual's body, all they feel is a light touch. Such an individual can go to either great heights or great depths. He can gain liberation, but can also go to hell.If his negative intentions are awakened, then he can reach the seventh hell. However if he dedicates himself to meditation, and surrenders himself completely, and only pure thoughts are awakened, then liberation can be achieved.
So the Gods tested Mahavir for six months, and when Sangam Dev accepted defeat and was about to retreat, defeated, Mahavir looked at him and thought "this man has been very helpful to me by troubling me, and now God knows what type of karma he has accumulated by his actions. What is going to happen to him? In what wretched planes will he have to wander?"
Jain Education International
159
For Private & Personal Use Only
amrender muni ji maharaj
www.jainelibrary.org
