Tirthankar Mahavir

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

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events. During the night he broke into houses and stole precious things.
Some said that Acchandaka offered magical wrist-bands which made the wearers rich and prosperous. Some reported that the poor became wealthy and barren women bore children when they followed his instructions. Some opined that he fulfilled the wishes of all those who approached him with faith. But the earnings of such people who deceive others with their illusory miracles or tricks eventually vanish.
Every midnight Acchandaka buried all the precious things like gold, silver, etc that he had stolen, in the ground just outside the village. At night he would also indulge in womanising, gambling, wining and eating meat. Acchandaka was a rogue. People went to him out
of greed and temptation. Roguery thrive on the greed of the people. Just as flies swarm around filth, so greedy persons swarm around a rogue.
On the other hand we see a being like Mahavira. The lamp of knowledge was burning in the heart of Mahavira. He was endowed with the spiritual qualities of non-attachment, renunciation and universal love. He was aware of Acchandaka's hypocrisy and wickedness. He knew of all the evil activities in which Acchandaka indulged during the night. Mahavira advised Accahndaka to confess his sins and to refrain from committing them further. But how could he accept Mahavira's advice? How could he wind up his lucrative business?
At last Mahavira decided that he must rescue the people from the net of deception spread by the wicked Acchandaka. But it was not easy to break the strong union of the rogue and the greedy. So Mahavira decided that he should display his own real miraculous powers to those who were blinded by the illusions of Acchandaka. No other means would be effective. Reasoning would not work because it would be like reading the scriptures to a buffalo.
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