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Study of Jainism
heavenly deities like Indra annointed him and named him as Ariştanēmi.18 As a young boy, Ariştanēmi was handsome, strong, cheerful and smart ; he was dark in complexion. 14 He was brave and self-willed. When Ariştanémi was a young boy he was very strong and showed many miraculous performances. Once he took the 'sudarsana cakra' from the Armoury and moved it round in the tip of his finger. Only Sri Krişna could touch it.15 He could lift the Koumudi gada (mace) with ease and swayed it about. He blew the famous Counch (Pāñcajanya Samkha) so loudly that the whole town could shudder in fright. Sri Krişna loved and respected Ariştanēmi 16
Ariştanēmi came of age and his marriage was fixed with a beautiful girl named Rajamati, daughter of Ugrasena of Bhojakula. Preparations for marriage were going on with great enthusiasm. Sri Krişna took the lead in making all the arrangements. On the day of the marriage, as was wont on such occasions, a great feast was being arranged. Numorous sheep were tied to the ropes and were penned in the compound to be killed for the feast for the guests. Aristanēmi was being brought in a procession, and on the way be heard the imploring bleat of the sheep. 17 He asked the servants why they were tied up there. The servant replied that the animals were to be killed for the feast of the guests. It appears that it was the practice of the Ksatriyas in those days to eat meat. Having heard this, he thought what a sad thing it was that, for the sake of the enjoyment of a few people, innumerable living animals had to be killed and sacrificed. And all this for his sake. He would be the cause of the death of innumerable innocent lives. It was only the pathetic pleasure. “Let evil befall on me who is responsible for this misery for the animals". He let the sheep free. He felt sad and decided to renounce the world and to take to the life of sanyasa. We get picturesque description of his marriage procession and renunciation in the Uttara-purana, Harivaṁsdpurana, Uttaradhyayana Sūtra and Trişaşti-S alaka-puruşa. Having heard this news of renunciation of Arişğanēmi, princes Rajamati was grieved beyond expression for sometime. She then decided to follow the husband and take to sanyasa. The relation of Rajamati and Ariştanémi was of a very high spiritual flavour. The relation can be compared, to the noble relation of Radha and Krişna
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