________________
327
knowledge in conveying the meaning that Bappa Bhatti was grtalty pleased So when it stopped raining he also accompanied Guru and came to the upăśraya Guru had already marked him to be a genius By his super-thinking he was reminded of an incident of his childhood When he was just a little baby his father had abandoned his mother with hiin His mother had taken shelter in a forest She used to swing his cradle under the shadow of a tree Once, while thus he was swinging, the shadow of the shaking ( due to the wind )-tree also had become steady I Guru had seen it with his own eyes 1.and so he came to the conclnsion that that child must be no other than Ama. BappaBhatti taught him many subjects Due to the affection that his spiritual-master showed towards him, he once said, 'I shall offer you the whole kingdom, when I shall get it!" The Guru remained silent.
After some time, Yaşovarma sent a messenger to call him. But the proud Āma did not go there. Atlast when he sent his own minister and when even his Guru earnestly told him to go, he went to Kanoj After a short time of his arrival, his father expired and he got the kingdom. He felt' much, as lie could not help his father even in his last days 'Then, he thought of inviting his RappaBhattı so that he might get consolation. He sent a messenger to call him.
He came there, the King Ama wellcomed him with great honour and pomp and requested him to take seat on his own throne I In those days when the Brahmins and the Jains were at daggers drawn, it was not easy to show such a reverence !
Guruji toid him that only he who was an Āc árya could accept the seat, but as he himself was merely an ordinary monk he could not accept it! Hence, the king requested Siddhasena Sūri, looking to his intelligence and prowess offered him • Sūripada' though at that time he was only eleven years old I Once again, when Bappa Bhatti visited Kanoja the king requested him to take his seat on the throne, but he rejected it saying
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
