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Ch. 9: Mrigavati - War and Peace
enlightenment. Certainly, such a person must be aware that kings indulge in wars because of their ego, arrogance, and lust. Bhagwan must also know that wars destroy relationships, ruin families, and devastate citizens. Why didn't Mrigavati seek Bhagwan's help?"
I answered, "Actually, she didn't have to! Bhagwan Mahavir's message of peace and compassion had spread widely from the eastern to the western regions of our vast land. Ganadhar Achalbhrat, you know that Bhagwan personally travels to kingdoms where simmering conflicts may be ready to explode; sometimes he even ventures out to battlegrounds. He invariably succeeds in stopping violence and bringing about truce. Warring kings willingly accept his advice and the entire area sees an unusual spiritual awakening.
In fact, once, when the King of Sindhu-Sauvir defeated and took the powerful King Chandrapradyot as his prisoner, Mahavir went to Sindhu-Sauvir for the Paryushan (a Jain spiritual festival) and gave a series of lectures on "Uttam-Kshama" (forgiveness as an ideal), thereby influencing the King to release Chandrapradyot. Bhagwan has actually saved Maharaja Chandrapradyot from certain death!
Although Mrigavati had been unable to send a messenger to Bhagwan Mahavir, the news of her plight had already reached him. He promptly reached the outskirts of Kaushambi just as the impatient Chandrapradyot was about to attack. The messenger of peace was now in the midst of the battleground!
Mrigavati could not believe her ears when she heard the good news. She ordered the gates to the city to be opened. She wanted to see
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