Tirthankar Mahavira A Biographical in Verse

Author(s): Mukesh Chhajer
Publisher: Mukesh Chhajer

Page 29

Mukesh Chhajer
Just such a person: A princess, enslaved and in chains Waiting at the door with alms in hand and shaven head As the monk approached, she felt elated How fortunate, that the Lord should come my way Filled with joy, tears started trickling down her cheeks With all conditions, finally, fulfilled The monk accepted the alms, to end his upvaas Longest of his long penance, lasting six months Bestowing upon Princess Chandanbala, the honor Of being amongst his foremost disciples
In the last days of his penance, the Lord Encountered another hardship He was accused of theft and hypocrisy Thorns were hammered in his ears Paying the price for an earlier transgression The Lord bore all with perfect calmness Without a feeling of anger or ill-will As the time was approaching for the fulfillment Of the long cherished dream
In the month of Vaishakh, on the tenth day of bright moon The journey that lasted for more than twelve years Moved in its final phase Under a Saal tree on the bank of river Rijubakula The Sun made haste to hide itself Before being outshone by the approaching dawn More powerful and more magnificent The likes of which were not to seen again, for a long-long time
As the blissful universe eagerly awaited The last threads of ghati karma quickly disintegrated With the sounds of conches, shells and dumdubhi Devas of heavens arrived in great numbers