Tirthankar Mahavir

Author(s): Kumarpal Desai
Publisher: Jaybhikkhu Sahitya Trust

Page 74

Acharya Shri Kailassagarsun Gyanmandir
After the renunciation rites, Mahavira went to Karmaragrama. He reached the village when the last forty-eight minutes of the first day of his ascetic life were still left. The sun was slowly setting in the west. Birds were flying back to their nests making soft sweet sounds. At this time Mahavira was standing in deep meditation on the outskirts of the village. In the material world the shadow of darkness was advancing but in Mahavira's inner world the dawn of the spiritual light was breaking forth. Mahavira concentrated his mind on the tip of his nose. He was completely engrossed in meditation.
A shepherd with his bullocks passed by where Mahavira was standing in deep meditation. The bullocks were tired after a hard day's work drawing the plough through the fields. And they were extremely hungry. As the sun was almost set, the shepherd was in a hurry to go home and milk his cows. He thought that it was not wise to go with the tired and hungry bullocks because it would take much longer to reach home. So he decided to leave them there to graze under the supervision of someone and once he had milkcd his cows he would return to collect them. I le looked about to see if there was anybody around. He saw Mahavira standing there. Pointing towards the bullocks, the shepherd addressed Mahavira, "O brother, please look after those bullocks. In no time I shall be back from my home after milking cows to collect them." As he was in great haste he did not care to find as to whether or not Mahavira had heard him. Mahavira had complied with his request. The shapherd at once set off for his home.
While grazing, the hungry bullocks entered a jungle and went deep inside. The shepherd returned after milking his cows to collect his bullocks. But he could not find them in the vicinity. He asked Mahavira where they were. But he did not get any answer from the meditating Mahavira. So he went to look for them himself. He searched along the banks of a river. He climbed a hill and looked around. He looked in the deep rivulets and culverts. He searched for them in dense thickets and in every nook and corner of the fields. He ran from one footpath to another and from one border to another. He searched far and wide tumbling and falling many a time. But he could not find his bullocks even after thoroughly searching throughout the whole night. He was distressed and disappointed.
Tirtankara Mahaivita in Kausagga - Mudra
(Meditating in Standing Posture)
The day was beginning to dawn. The sun was peeping through from the east, shooting its first rays on the earth. The shepherd, totally exhausted,