Stories From Jainism

Author(s): Mrugendramuni
Publisher: Jain Yoga Foundation

Page 80

one secretly. The baby grew up gradually and he began to water the trees of the hermitage. This baby, who was named Sechanak, destroyed the hermitage that had sheltered his mother; for, he thought that, it was not proper for her to give him a secret shelter.
So the hermits complained to King Shrenik against this naughty elephant. But it was difficult to overpower him. Then the king's son Nandisena succeeded in overpowering him, because when he saw the prince coming towards him, he remembered that in his past life he was a servant of this prince. The elephant was then duly kept in the king's contingent of elephants and the prince was rewarded by the
king.
In the meantime Lord Mahavir visited the town. Prince Nandisena went to hear the Lord's sermon. Here he asked why the captured elephant was so gentle with him. Thereupon, the Lord narrated to him the prince's previous birth. On hearing the account of his previous life, the prince desired to be initiated by the Lord. The Lord was not prepared to accept him, as the prince had yet to destroy his ‘Karmas.' Nevertheless, Nandisen insisted on becoming a monk and embraced monkhood. He then began to practise hard penances in order to get free from the bonds of the ‘Karmas.'
One day, Muni Nandisen found that a certain celestial being (God) was trying to lead him to evil ways of life. So he decided to commit suicide, by plunging down from a high hill.
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