________________
164
Brahmin's place with his request. The Brahmin was delighted with the proposal. The marriage would soon take place.
Krsna and Gajasukumāla proceeded to see Aristanemi. They did the usual homage to him and stayed on to listen to the discourse to which a large number of people from Dväravati had assembled. At the end of the discourse of the great Master, Gajasukumāla went up to him, bowed and said that he was so much impressed by the enlightening words of the Master that he had lost all interest in the worldly life as he saw it around. He would therefore very much like to receive orders from him and get into the Jain fold. He would only go back home to seek his parents' permission. Arist anemi nodded his head but had a meaningful smile on his face.
Gajasukumäla went back home with a firm determination which he declared to his parents. His mother collapsed under the shock. Later she tried to dissuade her son. She explained at great length how both of them, his father and herself, would not be able to bear separation from him. She expressed her strong desire that the young man should not think in terms of getting into the monk's way of life as long as his parents were alive. But the young man was so much convinced of the validity of the Jain point of view and of the futility of worldly life that he could not see any significance in the mother's pleading. He spoke to her about the basic transitory nature of worldly life and told her that he would not care to continue to live in it even a day longer. Therefore, the kindest thing the mother could do to him was to grant permission to renounce the world.
The parents however were equally firm. They reminded him of the luxuries that had so far surrounded his life, the comforts that he had enjoyed and asked him whether he would be able at all to lead the hard life of privation of a monk. They said it was as difficult as walking on the edge of a sword. They appealed to him to reconsider his decision, listen to their words and enjoy the pleasures of life with which his life as a prince had been so full. They also reminded him of his primary duty of creating the posterity. They said he could take orders and get into the ascetic way of life at the proper time when he had fulfilled all the obligations of the middle stage in life.
Gajasukumäla replied with a smile, "Monkhood is certainly
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
