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THE CO-TRAVELLERS AND THE ODYSSEY
as camplacent while being taken to be executed as he was on the eve of his arrest His meditation was as unbroken as ever Seeing him so non-chalant, the executioner was at his wit's end He could not gather courage to raise his swordbearing hand to behead the prince Another executioner was also an equal failure and yet another one Shrenik was informed of it He came to the spot
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He said, 'I was confident, son, that you are not a robber I know your spiritual creed But the claims of justice compelled me to hold otherwise Justice is blind and the evidence available inculpated you without doubt But truth is invincible as Mahavira has pronounced This doctrine has immortalised you Every inhabitant of Rajgriha proclaims your nobility Forgive me for passing such a stringent judgment It has immortalised you, albeit, when you were on the verge of death Pray accompany me home'
'Please leave me where I am I have no mind to accompany
you'
'Where do you propose to go herefrom?' 'To my home'
'Is not the palace of Rajgriha your own home?'
'It is far from being so
'Since when is it so?'
'I was engaged in meditation in the cremation ground I was indicted of theft You convicted me of the offence I had resolved to surrender myself to Lord Mahavira in case I was acquitted of the charge Hence I abondon all claims of mine over my earlier home of Rajgriha'
'You propose to renounce your parents as well
'I do Truth is blind and deaf like justice By means of truth I observe the self as the mother and again the self as the father'
'The great issue of your wife is also involved in it'
'If the executioner had killed me what would happen to her?'
'It would have been the will of the Providence'
