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14
SHRAMAN MAHAVIR
'Father! I happen to be aware of this self-evident truth But doesn't the sun of Truth get muffled up with clouds of stupefaction caused by attachment? It is an anathema to me to so much as hear about death How am I expected to advise on such an issue?'
'Dear Kumar you are a sage and a seer You are an explorer of truth You are fearless What virtue there be that you don't own! And still you fail to get over filial affection is it not in the fitness of things to surmount this weakness?
'Sire! Your love and mother's is so overwhelming Call it weakness or whatever you choose'
Siddhartha gave a turn to the trend and said-'Don't you wish we had a self-embraced yogic death ?'
'How could it be allowed!'
'Should we not condition our mind and body for such a desirable eventuality?'
However Kumar braced himself up to concede it That seems to be inevitable in the circumstances, he was constrained to say
'Will you not assist us in such a course ?
'You are resolved to do so and hence I will be constrained to do so
Siddhartha held a conference with Nandiwardhan and Suparshwa and thereupon the royal couple proceeded to prepare for the course of last voyage leading to bodily dissolution They reduced their diet By means of most sparing diet and starvation the body was fully restrained Non-attachment, renunciation and self-realisation resulted as a reward of the conquest of mind and its ultimate dissolution Their approach to the self-chosen final end was so tranquilly quiet that death most imperceptibly crept on to envelope them 1.
The parents had conferred the highest affection on Vardhaman. He had fully reciprocated their love For full twenty eight years he thrived upon their protection : Kumar now
1
'Ayarchula' 15/25,
2
'Awashyakchurni', 1 st part p 249
