Book Title: Trishasti Shalaka Purusa Caritra Part 1
Author(s): Hemchandracharya, Helen M Johnson
Publisher: Oriental Research Institute Vadodra

Previous | Next

Page 351
________________ 330 where to the Master's lotus-feet. He listened to the dharma of the Lord delivering a sermon, a rainy-season cloud for bestowing benefits on all. Like moonlight to the cakravāka, like the sun to the owl, like medicine to a sick man whose good fortune is exhausted (i.e., doomed to die), like coolness to one suffering from wind, like the rainy season to a goat,871 the dharma spoken by the Master did not please Kapila. Wishing to hear another dharma, casting his glance here and there, he saw Marici with characteristics differing from those of the Master's disciples. He went from the Master to Marici, wishing to find another dharma, like a foolish buyer from a rich man's shop to a poor man's shop. When he asked him about dharma, Marici said, “There is no dharma here. If you are seeking dharma, listen to the Master.” Again he went to Rşabha Svāmin's feet and again listened to his dharma in the same way. Spoiled by his own karma, the Master's dharma did not please him. For what is the use of a full pond to a miserable cataka? He went again to Marici and said, "Have you no dharma whatever ? How could there be a vow without dharma ? ” Marici reflected, “He is suitable for me. Ah! This union of similar people has taken place after a long time as the result of fate. Let him be a companion for me who have no companion." So thinking, he said, “There is dharma; and here is dharma." By that one falsehood, Marici acquired for himself a terrible birth extending for a crore of crores of sāgaras. He initiated Kapila and made him his companion. From that time there has been heresy on the part of mendicants. 871 42. It seems an accepted belief (in India) that goats are especially averse to rain, though why more so than other animals I have not been able to ascertain. Jain Education International For Private & Personal Use Only www.jainelibrary.org

Loading...

Page Navigation
1 ... 349 350 351 352 353 354 355 356 357 358 359 360 361 362 363 364 365 366 367 368 369 370 371 372 373 374 375 376 377 378 379 380 381 382 383 384 385 386 387 388 389 390 391 392 393 394 395 396 397 398 399 400 401 402 403 404 405 406 407 408 409 410 411 412 413 414 415 416 417 418 419 420 421 422 423 424 425 426 427 428 429 430 431 432 433 434 435 436 437 438 439 440 441 442 443 444 445 446 447 448 449 450 451 452 453 454 455 456 457 458 459 460 461 462 463 464 465 466 467 468 469 470 471 472 473 474 475 476 477 478 479 480 481 482 483 484 485 486 487 488 489 490 491 492 493 494 495 496 497 498 499 500 501 502 503 504 505 506 507 508 509 510 511 512 513 514 515 516 517 518 519 520 521 522 523 524 525 526 527 528 529 530 531 532 533 534 535 536 537 538 539 540 541 542 543 544 545 546 547 548 549 550 551 552 553 554 555 556 557 558 559 560 561 562 563 564 565