Book Title: Tirthankar Mahavir
Author(s): Kumarpal Desai
Publisher: Jaybhikkhu Sahitya Trust

Previous | Next

Page 75
________________ Shri Mahavir Jain Aradhana Kendra www.kobatirth.org Acharya Shri Kailassagarsun Gyanmandir returned to the place where Mahavira was still standing engrossed in deep meditation. And to his utter surprise, he saw his bullocks sitting beside Mahavira. He became angry. He thought that Mahavira was a thief disguised as an ascetic. He considered him to be a hypocrite. He believed that Mahavira had hidden his bullocks for the whole night. He decided to punish Mahavira for his evil intention. In a fit of fury he rushed to beat Mahavira with the rope to which bullocks were tied. At that very moment Indra, the Lord of the Gods, who had unending devotion for Mahavira arrived there to see what Mahavira was doing on the first day cf his ascetic life. Indra noticed that the shepherd was about to strike Mahavira with the rope. He at once stopped the shepherd from doing that rash act. He caught hold of the rope and said, "O wicked man, do you know what are you doing? Do you know the man whom you want to strike with the rope ?" The shepherd was taken aback on seeing Indra's divine lustre. On hearing his thundering voice, he at once threw away the rope. Indra said, “This man whom you regard a thief is Mahavira, who, having renounced his inexhaustible wealth and possessions, has assumed the mendicant's path for spiritual upliftment. How can he steal your bullocks ? Is it not shameful for you to strike the brilliant son of king Siddhartha ?" On hearing the words of Indra, the shepherd realised his mistake. He asked for Indra's forgiveness for his misdeed and falling at Mahavira's feet said, "O venerable Mahavira, kindly forgive me. I failed to recognise you. You who have renounced the kingdom was falsely regarded by me as a thiet. I am really a fool. Fie up on me for such a mean thought." The venerable Mahavira's eyes were full of compassion. The shepherd saluted him, begged his forgiveness and went away with his bullocks. Then Lord Indra preventing angry shepherd from attacking meditating Mahavira For Private And Personal Use Only

Loading...

Page Navigation
1 ... 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235