Stories From Jainism

Author(s): Mrugendramuni
Publisher: Jain Yoga Foundation

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The king welcomed the learned boy and led him to the town on an elephant. Then reaching home, Aryarakshit asked his younger brother, Falgun, where their mother was. Then he asked his mother why she was not glad at his home-coming. At this the boy was told by his mother. "Well, you have learnt things that help in earning bread. This helps one only in increasing the bonds of this world" Then Aryarakshit asked his mother, "What do you expect me to learn?" Immediately came her response," Dristivada" and the boy agreed to learn Dristivada.
Aryarakshit, therefore, went to Tosaliputra, a great Jain Acharya living in a nearby town. On the way, this boy was given some sugar-cane by a friend of his father. This friend then delivered the sugar-cane to Aryarakshit's mother. On counting the number of canes, she found them 9 1⁄2 in all. This means that he was sure to learn the nine and a half Purvas (scriptures).
Then Aryarakshit duly saw the Acharya Tosaliputra. The former was introduced, as the boy Aryarakshit, who had recently been honoured by the king. The Acharya asked the boy to become a monk before he could be taught Dristivada. The boy agreed and he was then duly initiated as a Jain monk.
Aryarakshit began to study the Acharang and other sacred scriptures. Then he completed the nine Purvas. In a few years this young Sadhu learnt all that his Guru had
known.
Then, Acharya Tosaliputra sent him to Vajraswami, residing in Ujjain, for further study of the scriptures. Here
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