Book Title: Way of Life Part 1
Author(s): Bhadraguptasuri
Publisher: Vishvakalyan Prakashan Trust Mehsana

View full book text
Previous | Next

Page 212
________________ 202 THE WAY OF LIFE Navakar mantra is an austerity but you must tell the beads in the garland and carry out the austerity according to the scriptural prescriptions. If you do so, you will surely experience the fruit of that austerity or its efficacy. The Chief Minister, Pethad Shah took Lilavathi, the Queen of Mandavagadh to his bungalow secretly and requested her to stay in an underground vault, in his bungalow. Do you know what austerity, the Chief Minister advised her to perform ? He advised her to perform the Japa of Shri Navakar mantra because the Queen was in great anguish. She was grieved by her own misfortune as well as by the anguish that had been caused to the Chief Minister by the false accusation. She thought, "On account of me, the Chief Minister also is falsely accused and his name is stained. On account of me, he may have to experience many more hardships. What a bold step he has taken to give me protection ! He has placed me in the underground vault of his bungalow. If the King comes to know of this, we may have to face terrible consequences". Lilavathi began to shudder with fear. Goaded by her anguish and agitation, she came to a decision, "I need not live any more. Let me die committing suicide". When the great Queen, Lilavathi was going to commit suicide, Pathamini, the wife of the Chief Minister happened to come into the vault unexpectedly. She prevented the Queen from committing suicide. "Why are you trying to commit suicide ? Sorrows can never be ended by committing suicide. Sorrows can be destroyed only when we experience them with emotional equanimity. Here you can be without any fear; you can be without any worry. No harm can occur to you here". Pathamini gave this assurance to the Queen. The Queen said to her, “I do not like to live with this stain upon my name. Therefore, I prefer death to this disgrace. Moreover, on account of me even the Chief Minister has been falsely accused. I have been a source of misfortune to him". Saying this, the Queen began to weep bitterly. PATHAMINI GIVES ENCOURAGEMENT TO THE QUEEN Pathamini's eyes were also filled with fear, Pathamini holding the chin of the Queen, said, "My dear sister, do not Jain Education International For Private & Personal Use Only www.jainelibrary.org

Loading...

Page Navigation
1 ... 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253 254 255 256 257 258 259 260 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270 271 272 273 274 275 276 277 278 279 280 281 282 283 284 285 286 287 288 289 290 291 292 293 294 295 296 297 298 299 300 301 302 303 304 305 306 307 308 309 310 311 312 313 314 315 316 317 318 319 320 321 322 323 324 325 326 327 328 329 330 331 332 333 334 335 336 337 338 339 340 341 342 343 344 345 346 347 348 349 350 351 352 353 354 355 356 357 358 359 360 361 362 363 364 365 366 367 368 369 370 371 372 373 374 375 376 377 378 379 380 381 382 383 384 385 386 387 388 389 390 391 392 393 394 395 396 397 398 399 400 401 402 403 404 405 406 407 408 409 410 411 412 413 414 415 416 417 418 419 420 421 422 423 424 425 426 427 428 429 430 431 432