________________
100
Some Aspects of Indian Culture
did not now come into conflict with his vow of celibacy, Jambu went in for it. The marriage was celebrated with pomp and grandeur on an auspicious day and at an auspicious moment.
Just at this time, there lived a man named Prabhava who happened to be the son, well-versed in arts and sciences, of a king called Vindhya of Jaipur. Being enraged with his father who gave away the kingdom to his younger brother, Prabhu, he used to pass his life in the foot of the mountain, Vindhya, looting and plundering with the assistance of thieves and robbers. This Prabhava who got the news of Jambu's marriage and the costly dowry, entered the city at night along with five hundred. fellow thieves to rob Jambu.
Applying the two magical formulae, Prabhava who, first of all, threw open the locks and send all the inmates into deep sleep began to remove the valuables from the bodies of the inmates. Seeing this, Jambu on whom the power of magical formulae did not work uttered a stern warning not to touch the bodies of the invitees. Hearing these words, the thieves became standstill. Acquainting Jambu about him, Prabhava made an offer to exchange the two magical formulae which he knew for those such as Stambhini and Mochani which Jambu knew. Jambu replied that he had no use for the worldly magical formulae. He knew only that lore which extricated the people from the bondage of the world and added that he would be leaving the world tomorrow morning. Prabhava, who was surprised to hear this, admonished Jambu not to renounce this world at such a young age. But Jambu did not give way to him also giving an illustration of the "Man in the well" to bring home to him the futility of the enjoyment of worldly pleasures. Again, Jamba, on being asked by Prabhava about the reason that goaded him to part company with his kith and kind so immediately and so early, told him that the intensity of immeasurable misery and tormentation which the would-be child experiences in the womb has made him resort to a line of action that eventually puts a stop to taking birth and cited in support of his stand. an example popularly known as Lalitangakatha.
In order to enlighten Prabhava on the point of the worthlessness of the world, Jambu narrated to him a number of stories especially the story of Kuberadatta and Kuberadatta proving the futility of worldly relationships, that of Maheshwaradatta emphasizing the inconsistency of the popular custom of giving oblation to the manes, that of a Bania who forfeited everything he had for the sake of a cowrie stressing the untenability of the comparison between worldly happiness and the bliss of emancipation, that of a cowherd boy conveying the lesson of the good use to which. money can be put etc. etc. Hearing these stories, Prabhava became converted. In the morning Jambu made aa exit for the big goal to which he had set himself. Anadhiya, the ruling diety of Jambudvip celebrated the occasion. Jambu was baptized and Sudharma named Prabhava as his pupil. Jambu's mother and wives joined him in his undertaking. In a very brief time Jambu became Śratakevali.
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
