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Shri Mahavir Jain Aradhana Kendra
114
www.kobatirth.org
Acharya Shri Kailassagarsuri Gyanmandir
Somila Brahmana said, "The enemy and disease should be nipped in the bud. Mahavira's strength and power should be checked and destroyed at once. Before his thoughts and ideas reach countries like Magadha, Vaishali and Kapilvastu he should be defeated in public debates."
Gloomy silence prevailed at the sacrificial site. Indrabhuti thought: "Today I have an opportunity to defeat Mahavira. He preaches his doctrines in the language of the ordinary people instead of in the divine language Sanskrit. Moreover, he has opened up the doors of religion and spiritual practice for all irrespective of caste or creed. He allows everybody to study the scriptures and the Vedas. He declares women equal to men in status, elevates them to the same position as men hold in the field of religion, and regards them as qualified for ascetic life. All his ideas are against Vedic tradition. He should be strongly opposed at any cost. I should at once challenge and defeat him." Charged with such thoughts Indrabhuti, who was fifty years old, suddenly get up and went straight to Mahavira's assembly hall along with his five hundred pupils.
Two powerful personalities were about to meet face to face. It was anticipated that there would ensue clashes and sparks. Indrabhuti Gautama, an incarnation of the Goddess of Learning, arrived in the Mahasena park. He saw the great yogi Mahavira. There prevailed peace and equanimity all around him. Indrabhuti was greatly surprised to see the splendour of Mahavira's holy assembly hall. At the mere sight of it, Indrabhuti's pride and vanity disappeared. The whole atmosphere was filled with feelings of universal love, compassion and non-violence. Thousands of gods were bowing in reverence to Mahavira. Indrabhuti heard a divine sound and he looked at the face of Mahavira. What divine lustre ! What brilliance of spiritual wealth ! Indrabhuti became alert. And he heard words as sweet as the tunes of a flute in woods: "Please come, Indrabhuti Gautama, I welcome you. Are you happy and healthy ?"
At first, Indrabhuti wondered how Mahavira knew his name. Then he thought that as he was well known in the world, it was not surprising that Mahavira too knew him. Just like a lit lantern has darkness underneath it, Indrabhuti Gautama, despite emitting the light of his knowledge all around him, had the darkness of doubt in his mind.
Tirthankara Mahavira removed his doubt through his pure know edge and Indrabhuti spontaneously folded his hands in reverence to Mahavira.
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