Shraman Mahavira

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

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SHRAMAN MAHAVIR
'Lord, a serpent named Chandkaushik haunts this path His sight radiates venom which proves fatal to all the pray He gazes at the prey and the latter is reduced to ashes We pray you to turn back'
Mahavira was, in fact, elated He wanted to give a trial to himself on the touchstone of fearlessness and goodwill The conspiracy of circumstances rendered such a test possible He framed his mind as a spiritual explorer should 'That about which a phlegmatic dunce is assured truly constitutes the highest danger That about which he is apprehensive contains the least danger!'
The poor cowherds were agape with wonder Mahavira's steps carried him forward
Mahavira chose the mandapam of the temple as the venue for his meditation Here indulges Chandakaushik in his serpentine frolics The Lord occupies the central place where he stands in the posture of dedication The forearms swing downwards The finger-tips reach the knee level The heels touch each other The toes are parted by a distance of four fingerwidth The unwinking eyes are fixed at the tip of the nose The body is inert The tongue is mute Breathings are nominal and the mind thought-free The Lord is in full occupation of the internal realm where one is crowned with the deepest concentration All contacts with the external world and sensory perception are withdrawn He moves aloft in the internal world He has transcended envy, anguish, pain, fear and such other mental inflictions and discomforts of heat and cold, poison and arms and such other physical tortures
Chandkaushik made his wonted forest beat and returned to the temple The moment he entered the mandapam he saw the Lord The place was weatherbeaten One would shrink from such a vicinity Who would dare step into it? Never did he see any human figure disturbing his secluded haunts He was nonplussed for an instant The next instant saw his hood raised high in the air Venom permeated his sight He hıssed furiously and stared at Mahavira In the third instant he stared