Stories From Jainism

Author(s): Mrugendramuni
Publisher: Jain Yoga Foundation

Page 31

Now a friendly angel of this Vajrakumar tried to test this boy- sadhu. One day, the Guru was moving about with his retinue of disciples. All of a sudden the sky was full of clouds and it began to rain. After the rain ceased, a devotee asked the Guruji to accept alms. Hence Vajrakumar (Vajragiri) was asked to receive the alms. But the devotee was not a human being but a god. So the young Sadhu came back without alms.
One day all the monks had been out. In the meantime, Vajramuni spent his time practising giving sermons from a raised seat. His Guru returned and was wonder-struck by the excellent delivery of the speech. So at a very young age, he was made an Acharya.
Once Rukmini, the only daughter of a rich merchant of Patliputra, came to hear of the wonderful power of the young Sadhu and she decided to marry him. Her father came to know of this strange desire of his daughter.
One day, Vajraswami arrived in Patliputra with fellow-monks. The rich merchant asked Vajraswami to marry his daughter. This was of course not possible for a Sadhu. When Rukmini approached the young Sadhu to realise her desire, Vajraswami addressed her on the transitoriness of life. His preaching impressed her very much and she embraced the life of a nun.
Once Vajraswami anticipated that there would be famine. So he carried all the people and Sadhus on a magic carpet to a place of safety-where there was no scarcity or