Tirthankar Mahavir

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

Page 91

Mahavira was unagitated, firm and steadfast. On his face shone the lustre of fearlessness. Though there raged the most terrific tempest all around. Mahavira remained completely untouched by it as a lotus in a pond remains totally untouched by water.
The storm gathered more strength. The sky was thickly covered with dark clouds. It was as if the whole sky was going to fall down with a deafening thunder and a catastrophe would follow. The boat would sink to the bottom of the river.
Suddenly from the one end of the horizon,dark clouds rushed to the middle of the sky and violently collided against other dark clouds. And there sounded a heart-rending explosive thunder. Everyone thought that death was surely imminent and there was no escape from it.
Two gods named Kambala and Shambala appeared. They belonged to the class of nagakumara gods. In their previous birth they had been bullocks. They were the pet animals of a Jaina householder in Mathura city. They stayed with the family in the compound of their house. The name of the householder was Jinadasa and his wife was Sadhudasi. By constant association with them, the bullocks too became religious. Jinadasa and his wife observed fast on the eighth and fourteenth days of every fortnight. Following them even the bullocks observed fast on those days. When the husband and wife read religious scriptures or recited devotional songs, the bullocks listened to them, standing silently. When the bullocks were about to die, the merchant Jinadasa directed them to perform religious rites and softly recited the holy Navakaramantra to them. After death, they were born as the nagakumara gods named Kambala and Shambala. Whilst one god protected the boat, the other one defeated Sudanshtra who, consequently, ran away.
Hence, the travellers were saved from disaster. The sky became clear as the clouds dispersed. The golden rays of the sun started dancing brightly on the water of the river Ganges. The boat safely crossed the river and reached the other bank where the boat-man anchored it.
All the travellers climbed out of the boat onto the bank. The astrologer said to them, "O brothers, come, let us pay our respects and salute the saint on whose account our lives are saved." They all approached Mahavira and bowed before him. It made no difference to Mahavira whether people saluted him or not. He remained even-minded and equanimous.