Shraman Bhagvana Mahavira Part 2 Vibhag 1

Author(s): Ratnaprabhvijay, D P Thaker
Publisher: Parimal Publication

Page 375

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wicked, with hearts as hard as a knot of adamant, pitile os, just like assassins; breakers of promise, and disgraced by the mire of strise, that leaving aside the question of giving me fodder etc., out of compassion, they have fraudulently misappropriated the sum of money given to them by Dhanadéva for my fodder, water etc, in my presence" Entertaining malice towards village people every day, becoming bewildered by involuntary hunger and thirst and by terrible agoules, and becoming distressed by a severe burning sensation in his entire body as if he were earapped in the entire burning of the village, the bullock died and he was born as a Vāņa Vyantara déva (celestial being) named Sūlapāņi with bis abode in the pleasure-garden near the village of Vardba. mānapura,
SULAPANI YAKSA.
As soon as he was born as Vāņa Vyantara in the celestial regions, the newly born god Sūlapāni on seeing bis celestial prosperity thought:- Ab! What benevolent gifts could I nave given in my previous lives or what severe austerities could I have practised? What persons could I have gratuitously benefited or which Rules of Right Conduct could I have rigidly followed? or in what excellent sacred place could I have abandoned my body? While thinking thus, through the medium of Vibhanga Jñana (a forin of Avadhi Jñāna) he saw the dead body of the bullock in a terribly emaciated state. He was greatly enraged, thoughtlessness took possession of his mind; and he made a fixed determination of doing a rash act. Immediately he thought:-"Let these wicked person suffer the fruit of their evil deeds," With this idea in his mind, Sūlapāņl developed an epidemic of plague in the vil age. Hundreds of people of every rank and creed, began to die every day and mourning cries of the following nature were daily heard: -"O Lord! O dear husband! Where did you go away? Why don't you reply? Ah! Ah! Cruel Death? Why did you do this so suddenly? Ah! child! Why did you die sitting in my lap? I am unfortunately placed in a calamity. Ah! Mother! You nourished me under very difficult