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SHRAMAN MAHAVIR
commanded immense spiritual power and glory after elevating himself with prolonged austerities 'Shall my visit be fruitful ?' He asked himself. But human vanity asserted itself. He was conceited with his pedantry Numerous pundits had met their downfall in disputations with him He believed himself to be invincible These vain thoughts again revived in him the desire to approach Mahavira. His feet moved ahead and thousands of feet followed them The adulations of the great Master uttered by the disciples resounded the place The attention of the citizens of Pawa was caught by this group The highway saw them in stunned quietness
Indrabhuti reached the outhouse of Mahasena garden He saw the congregation The sight fascinated him He found his heart softening with a strange kindred feeling as if his ego was vanishing and humility replacing it His pace was slackened Why go thither with a militant mood ? However, habits die hard He braced himself up and proceeded to face Mahavira
The Lord glanced Indrabhuti, his compassionate eyes transmitting his usual everflowing nectar of love to the latter. He accosted him, 'So you have come Gautam Indrabhutil'
Indrabhuti stood statue like, rigid and speechless It amazed him how he happened to know his name He had never seen the Lord in the past None could have conveyed to him that Indrabhuti was his name How could he know, after alll The ego of Indrabhuti hissed like a writhing serpent It suggested to him 'Who be there that knows me not? I induce terror amongst the residents of Malwa Saurastra is my domain The pundits of Kashi and Kaushal met ignoble defeats at my hands Does the sun beg introduction ? Mahavira is too shrewd It's his subterfuge to affect omniscience by revealing my name, caste and antecedents and thus take me in his fold But am la brainless fish to be so easily netted? I will defeat all such manoeuvres'
Indrabhuti was weaving a tightening net of fancies around himself. Lord Mahavira spoke in a reconcilatory tone,'You have doubts in the existence of siva (individual soul) Is it not so ?'
