Shraman Mahavira

Author(s): Dineshchandra Sharma
Publisher: Mitra Parishad Calcutta

Page 30

12
SHRAMAN MAHAVIR
courtiers I had instructed my bodyguard to continue the show until I would fall asleep It was to conclude only when I had actually fallen asleep The day had been a hectic one for me The activities of the day had enervated me it was a delightfully cool hour of midnight The dance was par excellence and so was the musical accompaniment Such the rarest accord of the moment, the danseuse, the singer and the instrumentalist was that all those present in the audience were thrilled beyond description They were completely absorved in the divine harmony They rose above temporal consciousness The atmosphere was indeed soporofic for me in no time did I lapse into sleep However, the glorious dance and melody continued
'I woke up as soon as the spell of deep slumber ended With it woke up my ego I sternly questioned the body-guard, 'Is it not an intransigence to defy my command ?' He had no word to utter He had been so much carried away by the dance and melody as to be completely oblivious of my slumber and my waking I was furious at this audacity to disobey me I was wild with anger l summoned my soldiers and got molten lead poured into his ears My wrath was pacified only when he was killed 1
'It seems my present incarnation is meant to atone for that violence Whole of my interest, my devotion, my concern is aimed at cultivating non-violence I will direct all of my energies to this end My irrepressible urge craves its final fulfilment I long for the day when I become one with nonviolence, when nobody suffers any injury at my hand Look how things exist! We, the people of status never show kindness to the humble. We exploit them to the maximum We even traffic in them as if they were cattle Even do they receive the roughest treatment To me it seems we have never recognised unity of man A merest lapse invites the severest punishment It is common to inflict injury to men, torture and
1
'Mahavirachariyam' Chapter 3 p 62 and 'Trishastıshalakapurushachantra' 10/1/177