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Knowledge, goes to the house of an ordinary house-holder for the prirpose of requesting his pardon while duly respecting the orders of his Master, gives ample proof of the natural straight forwardness of Gañadhara Mahārāja Indrabhūti Gautama. Wise men desirous of accomplishing the welfare of their Soul, will rise high and higher only when they acquire such-like straightforwardness and respectful obedience in strictly following the orders of their elders. People desirous of their own welfare, should consider the acquision of these noble qualities as one of their principal duties.
Ganadhara Gautama and Mahasatakaji.
# aff Mahāśata kaji, the eighth principal Srāvaka of Śramaņa Bhagavān Mahāvīra had thirteen wives. When Mahāśatakaji accepted the twelve gaa Aņu Vratas, the Minor Vows of a Srāvaka, out of his thirteen wives, his twelve wives did not exhibit any unusual pranks, but tarat Révati, one of his wives, had very evil notions in her mind. All the people in this world do not possess similar and praiseworthy ideas in their minds. Révati had the undermentioned wicked notion in her mind, "I am not able to enjoy the pleasures of the senses exclusively with my husband, owing to the hindrance caused by his other wives, so, if I can kill them by any means, I will be able to enjoy happiness exclusively with my husband, and I will become the owner of their property also.”
With tbis evil idea upper-most in her mind, the wicked woman killed six of her co-wives with weapons and the remaining six were treacherously killed by poisoning, and, she became the owner of their property.
Mabāśata kaji spent fourteen years practising the various vows after taking them like Ananda Śravaka, and like him, he entrusted his family-members to the care of bis son, went to the monastery and remained in meditation on religious subjects. Tbere also, the wicked woman tried to haress him a number of times, but he never lacked in his devotion. Mabāsata kaji
