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ŚRUTA-SARITĂ
he sent Viśvabhuti to conquer his revolting vassal, king Puruşasimha. But to his surprise he found a friend in Purușasimha who gave him well-planned welcome. When he returned to his garden he found his younger brother occupying it. He became angry when he found that he has been cheated. But ultimately he realised the evils of worldly selfishness and took to asceticism. Once when he was in Mathura in a narrow lane on his begging tour a cow hit him and he fell down. On seeing this his brother who had come there for his marriage made remark'what a strong and powerful person you are? Even a mild animal like cow can hit you down.' He felt greatly insulted, his pride got aroused, he took the cow in his hands and threw her far away. Decided as he was in his mind to retaliate by killing him in his next birth because as a monk he could not kill him in this very birth, in his birth as Triprstha Vasudeva he actually killed Viśäkhanandi who was born as a lion then. The enmity between the two continued for several births. This lion, after so many births, took birth as Nāgakumāra. At that time. Viśvabhuti's soul was born as Mahävira. On account of that deeprooted enmity Nāgakumāra harrassed Mahāvīra who was travelling in a boat. But this time Mahāvīra had uprooted the enmity by his meditation and austerities. Thus ended the enmity between them. As regards the evil effects of sensual gratification or amorous sentiments also we have a good illustration in the life of Viśvabhüti. Viśvabhuti had the benefit of having the advice from a great person like Śreyämsa who was not an ordinary teacher but a Tīrthankara, yet due to the evil effects he was not able to conquer his passions. He poured the heated lead in the ears of his night guard only because when Viśvabhuti slept, the guard did not stop the singing as he wanted to hear it. Viśvabhuti thought that only he had the right to hear the song performed for his sake. And as a result of this Viśvabhuti in his birth as Mahāvīra had to suffer the revengeful attacks by that guard when he was in his meditation. This time the enmity was destroyed by Mahāvīra and so the series of revengeful actions and reactions ended.
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Life of an ascetic was not new for Mahavira. In his birth as Priyamitra Cakravarti on seeing the clouds disappearing he realised that all these worldly possessions are as transitory and worthless as those clouds. So, he immediately renounced the worldly pleasures and became a monk, but he could not destroy his passions. So he had to continue his sädhand for mokṣa in the following births. As Mahavira he performed severe penances to destroy all the passions and as a result of this he became perfect one and attained summum bonum. This was his. last birth.
In his birth of Nandana he performed such actions which made him Tirthankara in his last birth as Mahāvīra. These actions are:
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