________________
Study of Jainism
truth. Mahavira had to undergo numerous hardships and indignities during his sanyasa period. The story of his sanyasa is surcharged with mythical content. Some incidents may help us to understand the personality of Mahavira and the firm determination to pursue the course of a pravraja
i) One day Mahavira was sitting for meditation. A cowherd was grazing his cattle nearby. He wanted to go out for some time. He said to Mahavira to look after his bullocks for some time. But Mahavira was engrossed in meditation. The cows strayed away quite a long distance. The cowherd came back he could not find his bullocks. He searched and searched, but was of no avail. Through-out the night he searched. The next the bullocks were sitting by the side of Mahavira who was meditating. The cowherd thought the sanyasi had played mischief with him. He wanted to thrash him. Then, the story goes, Indra intervened and said to the cowherd "Do not think that Mahavira is a thiet''. He is prince. He has given up everything and has become a sanyasi. Please offer your prapāmas to him. The cowherd, repenting for his thoughtless action, fell prostrate before Mahavira and asked forgiveness. 17
ii) Mahavira was sitting under the tree for meditation. A Poor Brahmin came to him and begged for something for a gift. He could not believe that a prince could not have anything with him. Mahavira had given up everything. He had only one piece of cloth (devadusya). He gave it to the Brahmin. 18
iii) In his wanderings, Mahavira came to a place called Astigrama. He chose a fearful place for his meditation at night, although the villagers pleaded with him not to go there, because there was a Yaksa who would create enormous difficulties for him, Throughout the night the Yakșa gave him severe and frightening tortures. But Mahavira was unpurturbed. He was engrossed in deep meditation. The Yakșa repented in the end. He asked for forgiveness. Mahavira forgave him. 19 The reward for evil was good. A heavenly deity called Devaraja saw how difficult it was to practise penance and to attain the end of self-realisation. He offered his services to Mahavira and said, “Sir, I have seen how
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
