Shraman Mahavira

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

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SHRAMAN MAHAVIR
There is a diabolical laughter The veil of quiet was torn The jungle was atremble Mahavira was unaffected Presently, an elephant appeared there He hit Mahavira with his sharp tusks But it could not ruffle Mahavira The elephant was gone and a cobra appeared instead Its terrible hiss scared the birds perched on trees It bit Mahavira and the latter was unruffled The fury of the yaksa vanished 1
You may seek a rational explanation of the narration whether Mahavira really experienced it? Whether a demi-god did torture him? But how am I supposed to interpret the incidents? The volumes wherefrom I cite the instances are accessible to you If you explore the inner worlds hand in hand with me I may offer you suitable explanations
We have just crossed the threshold of the inner realms of mind There is a flood of ideas here Since we have barely stepped in we have to put up with these harrowing ideas As we probe deeper the stifling ideation will grow thinner As soon as we approach the next inward door the influx of ideas shall vanish
We are entering into the second door We shall be constrained to pass through the strait alleys flanked with dreams Beyond it lies the highway for us to tread alone
Now is the stage to enter the third entrance The fearful gorges! How blood curdling are the wildernesses! There stand before us the ghost and the chimeras From yonder side come pouncing the ferocious beasts We see the pythons, the venomous serpents and the scorpions Dark as death is this environment The monstrous laughter curdles our blood There are piercing ominous shrieks How deadly is this world! How dangerous this phase!
We come upon the next and the fourth threshold Brilliance marks the air It is divinity personified The blessed one who reaches this far reaches his final destination beyond which no exertions need be taken However, none has covered
1 'Awashyakchurni', I pt. pp 273, 274