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Urja and Vidyamaan were brimming with excitement. They were going to stay with their grandparents for four days. Another five minutes and they would be there. They couldnt contain their anticipation and were waiting impatiently at the door of their train as it reached the end of its journey. Soon enough, they heard the toot toot of their train as it lumbered to a stop on the platform. Heeding the warnings of their fathers peon who was accompanying them, they didnt immediately rush out even though each wanted to be the first to greet their grandparents. Finally, they got down on the platform and were greeted by their grandmothers beaming face. They launched themselves at her. She gathered them in her arms and gave both of them a tight hug. The peon who was bringing their luggage also bowed and touched grandmothers feet. Wheres Nanaji? they asked. He had an important meeting he couldnt miss. Hell be home directly. Their grandmother replied. Maa, I missed you so much! Urja said. No, Maa I missed you so much Vidyaman said plaintively. Children, dont start fighting now. First let us go home at least. Their grandmother said smilingly. They both held their grandmothers hand on each side and followed her outside.

The entire day was spent exploring their grandparents house and catching up with the changes that had happened in the house since their last visit. Their grandfather was soon home too and they enjoyed telling him about all the happenings in their school. At night they both fought over who was going to sleep with grandmother and finally as always they both laid down on each side of their grandmother and begged her to tell them a story. Alright, alright Ill tell you a story. Maa agreed laughingly. She began, Today, Ill tell you a story about the compassionate elephant. The compassionate elephant? But Maa, how can an elephant be compassionate? He is an animal, not a human being, so how can he be compassionate? Urja asked in surprise. That is where you are mistaken, my child. Living things or what we call Jeev has a body and a soul. The body of a Jeev can change into an animal, a human being or a plant but the soul or the Atma remains the same. And the soul or the Atma has the capacity to feel and know. Do I also have an Atma? Vidyamaan asked with wide eyes. Yes, beta, everyone of us has an atma. And now listen to this story. Maa said. Once upon a time, there was a forest in which many animals lived happily. There also lived an elephant which was very gentle and kind. One day a huge fire broke out in the forest. As the fire raged wildly all the animals including 2

the elephant, ran to a safe area which was on top of a hill, in order to save themselves. Soon, the area became very crowded with the animals. The elephant reached the hill and with great difficulty managed to squeeze in. Suddenly, the elephant felt an itching sensation in the sole of his foot. He raised his leg to scratch his foot with his trunk. Unseen by him a rabbit jumped into this space. Just as the elephant was about to put his foot down, he felt something. He looked down and saw the rabbit sitting there. He knew that if he put his foot down the rabbit would be crushed because there was no other space where the rabbit could stand. To avoid hurting or crushing the rabbit, he kept his leg up. The fire lasted for three days. Throughout the three days the elephant exerted tremendous willpower and kept holding his leg up. Soon the fire stopped and all

the animals left. As the rabbit left the elephant felt content that he had saved the rabbits life. Once the rabbit left, the elephant tried to put down his foot, but because he had been standing in one posture for so long, his body had suddenly become stiff and he had difficulty in putting down his leg. He lowered his leg slowly but he suddenly lost his balance and fell down. Since he was standing at the edge of the hill, he fell and rolled down the slope and died. But because of the compassion and kindness that the elephant showed to the rabbit he earned punya and his good karmas made him transcend his animal gati for a human gati and he was reborn as Prince Meghkumar in his next life. So, you see that an elephant because of the bhav of compassion towards another living being was able to leave the animal yoni and enter the human yoni. Therefore, children, the moral of the story is, Be compassionate and kind to all living beings, whether they are big or small. Maa, so does that mean that my atma was also an animal once? Urja asked. Even now you are an animal. You are a scaredy-cat. You are a darpok, darpok darpok Vidyaman chanted with glee. Urja sat up and raised her hand to hit him. Hush, my dear! Maa stopped her and enfolded her in her embrace. Now dont fight. Dont you want to listen further? Urja is right. All of us were animals at some time or the other. And you know we can again become an animal if we 4

behave badly or hurt anyone. Tomorrow I will tell you the story of two brothers Surasen and Mahasen and then you will see what can happen if we even think of hurting an animal. Maa, please, please tell us right now. Please, I am not sleepy at all. Urja pleaded. Vidyamaan seconded her, Yes, Maa please even I am not sleepy. Please tell us just one more story. Alright I will tell you just one more story but then promise me that you will sleep after this. said smilingly. Promise they screamed in unison. Maa began Once upon a time in the city of Ksitipratisthita, there lived a king and queen named Virasen and Vasundhara. They had two sons, Mahasen and Surasen. Both the brothers loved each other and grew up together happily. When he was around sixteen years old, Mahasen developed a boil on his tongue. In the beginning it was a tiny dot but gradually it increased in size and became very painful. Mahasen couldnt eat or drink anything because it would hurt his tongue. The king called many vaids and doctors who tried various medicines and herbs to cure him but nothing worked. His boil couldnt be cured. Mahasens affliction increased and he became pale and weak because he was unable to eat or drink anything and was in continuous pain. It was difficult to see him bear so much pain and suffering but all attempts to cure him failed and despite the kings efforts all the vaids shook their heads in despair and gave up hope. Soon, the disease was much advanced and Mahasen became so weak that he was unable 5

to get up. He spent the entire time lying on the bed. He developed a terrible bad breath and emitted a bad stench from his mouth. The odour was so unbearable that people hesitated in coming close to him. However, his younger brother, Surasen did not leave him alone. He always sat by his bed, talking to him and taking care of him. Surasen hated to see his elder brother in such pain but didnt know what to do. One day, deeply upset by Mahasens suffering, he resolved that he wouldnt eat any food until his brother became well. He sat by his side holding his brothers hand and calming him. Suddenly, a thought came in his mind and he decided to recite the holy Namokar Mantra. Surasen brought a bowl containing water and chanted the holy mantra nine times. He then asked Mahasen to open his mouth and sprinkled the water on his brothers tongue.

To his great surprise Mahasen felt an immediate relief. Surasen continued to do this for several days and his brothers tongue got better. Gradually the odour and the boil disappeared. The king was very happy and began to revere the Namokar Mantra. All the people who saw this miracle developed faith in the Namokar Mantra and began to chant it regularly. Some months later, Acharya Bhadrabahu came with his entourage to the city. Acharya Bhadrabahu was not only very learned but he also possessed Avadhi Gyan which enabled him to know about the past lives of people. The two brothers went to listen to Acharyas discourse. Acharya Bhadrabahu spoke about the power of karmas. He said that ones karmas affect not only ones present life but ones future life as well. After his sermon was over, Surasen approached him and told him about Mahasens illness and asked him if he could tell them why his brother had to suffer. The Acharya told them that Mahasens suffering in his present life had been caused by his past life karmas. He told them why this happened. He said, In Bharatshetra, there was a city, Manipur. A merchant named Yogesh lived there. He was a devout Jain and a strong believer of the Jina path. Yogesh had two sons, named Bhir and Vir. One day while going to a park, the two boys saw a Jain monk lying dead on the street. There were many people standing around him but no one seemed to be doing anything. They came to know that the monk had been meditating when he was bitten by a poisonous snake. The monk had immediately fallen dead. The snake had however, escaped into his hole. 7

On hearing this Vir was filled with rage and said, Why didnt anybody kill the snake? There are so many people here. How could you keep standing and let the snake escape? You should have chopped him to pieces. Bhir tried to calm him down and said, Bhai, the snake escaped because of his good karmas. But why are you getting so angry and thinking such murderous thoughts? This is also a sinful act. Vir said, Bhir, cant you understand that the snake has committed a grave sin by biting a holy righteous monk? Therefore, killing the snake would be a justified act and not a sinful act. Bhir replied, No, two wrongs do not make one right. What is wrong is wrong. You are letting your emotions sway you. Your feeling for the Muni is making you think such violent thoughts. This is wrong. You should repent for what you have wished and said for the snake. 8

Vir remained upset and unconvinced and refused to do so. He continued to think ill of the snake. The monk continued to tell Surasen, Bhir has been reborn as you and Vir as your brother. Since in his past life, Mahasen wished to hurt the snake and did not repent he had to suffer by having a boil on his tongue. But by the time you started reciting the holy Namokar Mantra his bad karmas got over and his illness was cured. Mahasen and Surasen were enlightened when they learnt of their previous lives. They turned more spiritual and devout and decided to lead their lives by inculcating Jain teachings in all spheres of their lives.

So, you see children, we should always practice Ahimsa in actions as well as thoughts. Even the mere thought of violence can make you accumulate bad karma and you will have to carry these bad karmas like a sack on your back. Maa said. Oh, so that means Vidyamaan will become an animal Maa, because he always fights with me and hurts me. It was Urjas turn to say gleefully now. 9

Vidyamaan was ready to burst into tears at the thought of becoming an animal and said, I dont want to carry the sack sack of Maa hugged him and said Then dont fight and hurt each other. Always practice ahimsa. Remember if you hurt others you hurt yourself in the long run. Alright now, its time to sleep. We have to get up early tomorrow to go to the temple. Saying this she tucked them in soundly. Word Meaning
Word Anticipation Admonished Affliction Ahimsa Atma Avadhi Gyan Accumulate Beaming Bhav Compassionate Darpok Discourse Devout Emitted Excitement Enlightened Exerted Entourage Inculcating Gathered Meaning expectation to reprove or scold gently suffering, problem non-violence soul power of knowing about previous births to gather smiling expansively feelings, emotions caring, kind, merciful coward discussion, sermon pious, religious gave out feeling joyful and lively gain knowledge made an effort followers, associates fix in mind pick and enfold

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Gleefully Grave Gati Jeev Justified Karmas Lumbered Launched Plaintively Posture Punya Possessed Resolved Revere Repent Righteous Stench, Odour Spiritual Tremendous Transcend Unison Vaid Yoni

joyfully, merrily serious, important state living being proved to be right deeds or actions move heavily with noise to throw or propel say mournfully, sadly manner of standing good, noble in possession determined, decided respected to be sorry for what one has done just and correct disgusting smell having to do with the soul very great or strong to rise above agreement doctor who follows traditional methods of healing

Indian

category

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Despite having been dead tired the kids got up early the next morning. They quickly bathed and without any prompting, got ready. Their grandparents were also ready and waiting for them. Urja and Vidyamaan chorused a greeting Good Morning Maa, Good morning Nanaji! Jai Jinendra, bachho their grandparents greeted them in return. Jai Jinendra? What does this mean, Maa? Urja asked curiously. When Jains greet someone they say Jai Jinendra. It means saluting Jin or one who has gained victory over his Indris or senses. Who is a Jin? Vidyamaan asked with an air of incomprehension. Jins are our Tirthankars or Gods who have attained moksh and left this world forever. They have taught us how to lead a worthy life. Maa explained. But Vidyamaan wanted to know more. Urja cut him off, So many questions! We should put a question mark on his forehead. He is always asking questions. With another fight seeming imminent, Nanaji interrupted No, my child, it is a good habit to ask questions. One gains knowledge and wisdom. Vidyamaan, Maa will explain more about our Tirthankars later. Now we should go or we will be late for the mandir.

They set out for the temple, both of them holding on to their grandparents hand each. The temple was situated near their house and they soon reached the temple. They took off their slippers outside and washed their feet and hands with water that had been kept on one side. Suddenly Nanaji noticed that Vidyamaan was wearing a belt. He asked him to take it off. Mystified, he asked, Why? Nanaji said, Beta, when we go to temple, we wear clean and simple clothes and we do not wear silk or leather articles because silk is made by killing silkworms and leather is made from the skin of the cow and as Jains it is our duty to shun violence in any form. Then we should not buy these items because that means we are encouraging violence. Urja said in an impassionate tone. That is true, my dear. Most Jains have taken the oath of never buying items made of silk and leather. Then even I take the vow that I will never buy these two things. Urja said. Not to be outdone, Vidyamaan too chimed in, Me too. Very good my dears, Im proud of you. Maa beamed with delight. Just before entering the temple, Urja heard Maa say softly, Nissihi, Nissihi, Nissihi. She looked at her questioningly and asked, Why do you say this and what does this mean? Maa replied, Nissihi means renunciation or to give up. We say this three times while entering the temple to discard all our worries and anxieties and all our thoughts relating to 13

worldly affairs and to worship God with a clear mind. Urja too said softly, Nissihi, Nissihi, Nissihi. Maa then entered the temple and raised her hand to ring the iron bell which hung from the ceiling. Urja too followed her and standing on her toes, rung the bell but Vidyaman was unable to reach the bell. I also want to ring the bell he cried. Haan haan, just wait I will pick you. Nanaji lifted him up a bit and he rang the bell loudly. Maa, why do we ring the bell while entering the mandir? Urja asked thoughtfully. Beta, there are many reasons for doing so. We believe that besides human beings many devs also visit the temples. Devs are invisible and cannot be seen by us so the bell is rung to announce our arrival so that they can move away. Also the sound of the bell produces the sound Om which is sacred and gives positive energy. Like all Jain children Urja and Vidyaman too had been going to the temple but going with their grandmother made them understand the logic behind the rituals they had been performing in the mandir. Standing before the idol of God they recited the Namokar Mantra with folded hands and intense concentration. They recited,

Om Jaya Jaya Jaya, Namostu Namostu Namostu Namo Arihantanam Namo Siddhanam
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Namo Ayariyanam Namo Uvajjhayanam Namo Loe Savvasahunam

Maa opened the little box she was carrying and they both took some samagri. They waited for Maa to recite the shloka before offering the samagri.

Udak chandan tandul pushp kai, charu sudip sudhup phalargha kai; Dhaval mangal gaan ravakulai jin grahe, jin naam maham yaje. Om hrim shrim bhagvat jin sahastra namebhyo, argham nirvpamati swaha! When Maa said, swaha the children too said, swaha and placed the samagri with their right hands on the table.
Then they went around the idol three times. Finally, they bowed before the idol and then stood up. They dipped their fingers in the gandhodak which is the water used to bathe the idol and which is collected and kept in a bowl. Maa looked at them amused as with great diligence they touched their foreheads, their eyes and their throat with the sacred water. Do you know why we apply this water on our body? she asked Urja and Vidyaman gently. Yes, Maa this is sacred water which is used to bathe the idols and is then collected in a bowl. Urja replied. Very good but why do we apply it on our forehead and eyes and throat? Maa asked. We dont know Maa they said in unison. 15

We apply it on our forehead so that we may always keep in mind the achievements of our tirthankars and then on our eyes so that we may always visualize their deeds and lastly on our throat so that we may always sing their praise. And while dipping our fingers we should recite this shloka,

Nirmalam Nirmali Karnam, Pavitram Paap Vinashanam Jin Charnodakam Vandein Ashta Karam Vinashakam
What does it mean Maa? Urja asked. This means that this water is pure and clean and it calms us and cleanses us and destroys all our sins. And singing the praise of Jin Bhagwans feet destroys our eight Karmas. Now we should go. By speaking we are disturbing the others. They bowed before the idols and left. Urja and Vidyamaan couldnt wait for the afternoon to come and hurriedly finished their lunch and entreated their grandmother to tell them a story. Their grandmother laughed at their eagerness and agreed. Today I will tell you the story of Chandkaushik, a dangerous cobra. Oh, wow a cobra! Maa, I love snakes. I will keep one as a pet when I grow up. Vidyamaan said excitedly. Snakes are dangerous. He will eat you alive, then you will know! Urja said discouragingly. He will not eat me. I will be his master. And I will train him to eat you. Vidyamaan answered back. Hush !, now dont start fighting. This story is about Lord Mahavir when he was a Muni. Lord Mahavir used to fast and meditate. He used to travel from place to place, one village to another preaching to the people. 16

One day, Lord Mahavir decided to go to the village of Vachala. But to reach that village he would have to cross a forest. And in that forest lived a deadly snake called Chandkaushik. Maa, how big was he? Was he thousand, lakh feet long? Vidyamaan asked excitedly. Please Vidyamaan, keep quiet! Urja said exasperatedly. Maa patted Urja gently, Let him ask. She continued, Yes, he was certainly very ferocious and poisonous. Whoever entered the forest didnt come out alive and he had killed many cows, buffaloes and human beings. Because of Chandkaushik not a single animal lived in the forest. All the people of the nearby villages were absolutely terrified of Chandkaushik. There were rumours that Chandkaushik had divine powers and that he could kill just by casting his evil glance upon a person. When the villagers learnt about Lord Mahavirs intentions to pass through the forest, they tearfully requested him to go through another route. But Lord Mahavir remained unperturbed by all the dire warnings of the villagers. He had no fear and practiced supreme non-violence. He had no hatred towards anyone and considered fear and hatred as violence of the self. He was at peace with himself and all other living beings. There was a glow of serenity and compassion on the Lords face. With a calm smile on his face, he set out for the forest. He entered the forest and soon the beautiful greenery of the forest began to fade and give way to dried shrubs and dying trees. The forest wore a deserted and uninhabited look. Lord Mahavir kept on walking undeterred and reached an 17

area which seemed totally barren and arid. Trees and plants looked burnt out and the air seemed poisonous. This was the area where Chandkaushik lived. Lord Mahavir sat down to meditate. As he sat there in deep concentration, feelings of peace, tranquility, and compassion for every living being flowed from Lord Mahavirs heart. Meanwhile, Chandkaushik sensed that someone had entered his territory and he came out of his hole. To his surprise he saw a man sitting quietly on the ground. He became furious and began hissing and slithered towards Lord Mahavir, but the Lord continued to sit there in tranquility. Chandkaushik became angrier and came closer to the Lord and swayed his head, dangerously, ready to strike. But the Lord showed no sign of being disturbed. Chandkaushik then blew poisonous venom towards Lord Mahavir three times. But the venom didnt have any effect on Lord Mahavir and he continued to sit in meditation.

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Chandkaushik was frustrated at seeing this and concentrating with all his power he bit the Lords toe. But to his shock nothing happened to the Lord and instead pure, white milk flowed out of his toe. Then Lord Mahavir opened his eyes. He was calm and there was no fear or anger on his face. There was love and affection in his eyes. He looked deep into Chandkaushiks eyes and said to him: Understand, understand, Chandkaushik and realize where you are going! Awake! Chandkaushik, be enlightened! Chandkaushik became calm and felt a sense of recognition as if he had seen such a person earlier. As he gazed at Lord Mahavir, he experienced an awakening and achieved special knowledge i.e. Jatismarangyan which enabled him to recall his previous births. Chandkaushik remembered that he too had once been a Muni and had committed the sin of crushing a frog to death, but had refused to confess to his guru and had hidden his crime. He had dismissed his junior monks repeated pleading of confessing and absolving himself of his deed. Instead of being penitent he had been filled with murderous rage at his young companion and had tried to attack him in the dark . But he had dashed his own head against a pillar and had died. His anger and violent nature had continued to increase in each of his rebirths until finally he had been born as the poisonous snake, Chandkaushik. 19

The compassion of Lord Mahavir awakens him and he realizes what anger, violence and his ego have done to him. His anger vanishes and he finds himself freed of the poison of anger. He bent his head down peacefully on the ground to acknowledge that Lord Mahavir has liberated him. Lord Mahavir left with a smile. Chandkaushik peacefully retreated to his hole with his head inside, while most of his body remained outside. The news that Chandkaushik had not harmed Lord Mahavir spread like wildfire. Curious and disbelieving, people from

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the neighbouring villages began coming to see Chandkaushik. They saw Chandkaushik lying quietly with his head inside the hole. Some started worshipping it, pouring milk on it and offering food. But some others who were angry with Chandkaushik for having killed their loved ones, threw stones at it and hit it with wooden sticks. Chandkaushik was wounded and began bleeding but he didnt retaliate. He continued to lie there with his head inside the hole and the mixture of blood, milk and food attracted thousands of ants and they surrounded him and began eating his body. Even then Chandkaushik remained calm and peaceful and didnt let anger touch him. His self restraint and control destroyed his bad karmas and he died and went to heaven. But why did he die? He had become so good now? Urja asked. He died because his time had come. And compassionate Lord Mahavir helped him so that he was liberated from the endless circle of rebirth. Maa, Im feeling very bad for Chandkaushik. He suffered so much pain. Vidyamaan cried out. Beta, this pain that he suffered was because of his anger and ego but because he repented sincerely he was able to destroy all his bad karmas and achieve salvation. I didnt know that our anger can harm us so much! Urja said. Next time before you both let anger overwhelm you, pause for a moment and remember Chandkaushik and your anger will vanish. Maa said with a smile. 21

Now children, we will have our afternoon nap. But the children protested and pleaded for another story. Maa relented after they promised they would sleep after another story. Alright Ill tell you another story about showing love and compassion to all living beings, big or small. Once upon a time there was a king called Meghrath who was a brave and just king and who ruled his country well. He was known for his truthfulness and steadfastness and there was complete justice in his kingdom. The people in his kingdom lived happily and peacefully. Meghrath was very religious and carried out all the duties of a shravak. Maa. Who is a shravak? Urja asked. Beta, a shravak is a person who lives the life of a householder but follows certain rules in his day to day life. Maa explained: One day when he was sitting in the royal court a pigeon came flying from outside and almost fell down on the kings lap. Its heart was beating violently and it was trembling with fear. Meghrath gently patted the pigeon wondering from where it had appeared. The pigeon suddenly spoke, Maharaj, please save me! Meghraj was startled on hearing a pigeon speak but replied, Have no fear! I will protect you! Whom are you scared of? Just as the pigeon was about to answer a fierce hawk came flying and perched upon a pillar. The pigeon cowered in the kings lap. 22

The pigeon is mine, Maharaj! Please give him to me. the hawk said. The pigeon has sought my shelter and I have granted him my protection. I cannot hand him over to you. But I am hungry and he is my prey. If I dont eat him I will die! the hawk replied. I will call my cook who will provide you with whatever food you desire. But you should desist from killing any living being for your hunger. Meghrath counseled the hawk. Maharaj, I am a non-vegetarian and only eat meat. If you dont hand over the pigeon, I will die of hunger. And you will be responsible for my death. King Meghraj was in a dilemma. He could not hand over the pigeon to the hawk nor could he offer meat to the hawk. His religion forbade such a deed. He thought for a moment and then pronounced, I cannot break the promise of protection

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that I have given to the pigeon, nor can I offer you any meat. However, since I cannot have your death at my door, I offer you meat equivalent to the weight of the pigeon from my body! Everyone was stunned at the kings announcement. His courtiers pleaded with him but to no avail. The king stood firm on his decision. The hawk agreed to the offer. The king called for a weighing scale. He put the pigeon in one plate of the scale and in the other he put a piece of flesh cut from his body. To his amazement, the pigeons side was heavier. So, the king cut some more flesh from his body to counterbalance its weight. But the pigeons end still remained heavy. Despite cutting and putting more flesh from his body the pigeons side remained heavier. Finally, the king sat down on his end of the scales. Now, the scales became evenly balanced.

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The courtiers were aghast. They protested that they would not allow their benevolent and noble king to sacrifice his life. Vidyamaan was listening with his mouth wide open. Meghrath was ready to sacrifice his life for that of a pigeon! But he was a king! Yes, but he was a just king and he believed that all living beings had an equal right to live. Maa said. Meghrath didnt listen to his courtiers and said, I have given my word. And the life of each being, whether it is a pigeon or a king, is equally precious! Suddenly, the hawk and the pigeon disappeared and a Dev stood there. You are truly great, Meghrath! I had heard you being praised for being just and noble and I decided to test you. I had sent the pigeon and the hawk for this purpose. I am happy that you have proved to be true to your reputation. I felicitate you! The Dev joined his hands and bowed. The king stood up completely healed Maa ended. Oh good, I am so glad that compassionate Meghrath did not die! Vidyamaan said happily. So, what have you learnt from this story? Maa asked them. I have learnt that we should be brave and protect those who are weaker than us. Vidyamaan said with a pumped up fist. Urja immediately responded, You only think of fighting and battles. Maa, in all the stories that you have told us, compassion is the main thing. We should be kind and compassionate to everyone, big or small. Maa hugged them happily and said, You both are right, my dears. Lord Mahavir, Meghrath, the elephant and the two 25

brothers, Surasen and Mahasen all show us the power of kindness and compassion. What happened to Meghrath afterwards? Vidyamaan asked. Meghrath had a long and happy reign. When the time came, he renounced his worldly life and became a Muni. His brother Dridhrath and many others also renounced with him. He led a simple and austere life as a muni. When his end was near, he kept fast until death and went to heaven. He was reborn as the prince of Hastinapur and became our sixteenth Tirthankar, Lord Shantinath. Now children, go to sleep. We will attend dharma classes in the evening. Word Meaning
Word Absolving Acknowledge Aghast Arid Attained Austere Avail Barren Benevolent Chorused Counseled Cowered Curiously Dangerous Meaning free from guilt or sin recognize horrified very dry reached, gained severe, strict gain, benefit bleak and lifeless kind and caring sing or say together advised shrink, cringed anxiety to learn, inquisitively likely to cause harm

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Desist Devs Dharma classes Dilemma Diligence Dire Discard Divine Eagerness Encouraging Enlightened Entreated Felicitate Ferocious Frustrated Imminent Impassionate Incomprehension Intense Liberated Meditate Moksh Murderous Mystified Oath Penitent Pleaded Precious Prompting Relented Renounced

cease, discontinue celestial beings classes which teach religious doctrines. quandary, predicament carefulness serious or urgent to throw away having to do with God keenness inspiring achieve knowledge and understanding ask earnestly congratulate fierce and cruel feel dissatisfied impending full of emotion and strong feelings not understand something earnest, serious freed focus ones mind for spiritual purpose Nirvana, salvation capable of extreme violence sensing a secret or mystery vow feeling sorrow and regret for wrong-doing begged valuable without delay gave in, yielded give up

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Renunciation Repented Retaliate Retreated Salvation Samagri Self-restraint Serenity Shloka Shravak Shun Sin Slithered Startled Steadfastness Swayed Terrified Tranquility Undeterred Uninhabited Unperturbed Vanishes Venom Victory Violence Visualize

to give up, to disown regretted hit back, get even went back deliverance a mixture of rice, coconut and spices which are offered to idols in Jain temples self-control calmness prayers Jain householder who observes certain vows in daily life avoid an act which breaks a moral law move smoothly with a twisting motion surprised resoluteness, loyalty moved forward and backward frightened peace, calm persevering despite setbacks where no one lives having no anxiety disappears poison win, gain success act of damaging or harming others form an image

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The children slept and awoke refreshed. They went out to play in the park and then returned home just before sunset. They saw Maa having her dinner. Maa, why do you always eat your dinner before sunset? Vidyamaan asked. Most Jains eat before sunset because we believe that eating after sunset leads to hinsa or violence. Maa answered. Hinsa? But we eat vegetarian food. How can we commit hinsa? Urja asked confused. Because after sunset countless flies, tiny insects and mosquitoes appear and if we eat at night the possibility of their falling in the food increases. So, to avoid this hinsa we eat before sunset. Moreover, it is healthier to eat early so that there is a gap between eating and sleeping and the body gets ample time to digest the food. Yes, you are right Maa, my favourite actress also has her dinner early because it helps her to stay fit. Maa, she is only interested in fashion and movies! Now she will copy the actress and eat early! Vidyamaan said mockingly. And what are you interested in? Only cricket! Even your favourite cricketer eats early, sleeps early and gets up early. And you also want to become a cricketer, na? Urja was quick to point out.

Maa even I will eat with you! I have to get up early tomorrow for cricket. Vidyamaan said. Maa and Urja exchanged amused glances as Urja mouthed copy cat After their dinner both the children washed and changed their clothes and went to the temple with their grandmother. After darshan and aarti their grandmother ushered them to a room where the dharma class was being held. There were around eight to ten other children sitting on the floor in a semi-circle. A young man sat facing them. Jai Jinendra! Urja and Vidyamaan greeted everyone. Maa addressed the young man, Amit, these are Urja and Vidyamaan. They have come from Delhi for their summer vacations. They both are also interested in learning about our religion. Welcome Urja and Vidyamaan. It is good to know that you are eager to know about our religion. Come and sit down. They both sat down and Maa said I am going to listen to the pravachan. When you finish come there. And she went. Amit began, Alright, children now tell me before beginning our class what is the first thing we should do? A boy raised his hand. Yes, Arham? Amit Bhaiya, we should recite the Namokar mantra. Very good Arham. So, all of us will now recite the Namokar mantra. The children folded their hands and with bowed heads, recited the Namokar Mantra in unison. 30

Once they had finished Amit asked, Now children you know that Namokar Mantra is a very important prayer for us. How many of you know the meaning of this prayer? None of the children raised their hands. They looked at each other. A hesitant voice said, Amit bhaiya, I think we pay our respects to the Tirthankars. But I am not sure of the exact meaning. Very good, Aditi you are quite right. Amit praised her. I will tell you all the exact meaning.

Namo Arihantanam means I bow and offer my salutations to all the Arihants who have reached enlightenment and have shown us the path of salvation. Namo Siddhanam means I bow and offer my salutations to all the Siddhas or the liberated souls who have achieved moksh. Namo yariynam means I bow and offer my salutations to all chryas, who are the heads of Jain congregations, and who preach the principles of religion and show the path of liberation. Namo Uvajjhynam means I bow and offer my salutations to all Updhyyas who are the ascetic teachers and who study and teach or explain the Jain scriptures. Namo Loe Savva Shunam means I bow and offer my salutations to all Sdhus and Sdhvis who follow the five great vows of conduct and inspire us to live a simple life. Eso Panch Namukkro means I offer my salutations to such five souls.
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Savva Pva Pansano means such feelings will help to destroy all my sins. Mangalnam cha Savvesim Padhamam Havai Mangalam means offering this praise is the foremost amongst all of the auspicious benedictions. Whoever recites this will have an auspicious life.
Now remember whenever you recite the Namokar Mantra you should recite it with feeling and understanding. Alright now tell me some of the important principles of our religion? Several children raised their hands. Yes, Parul, you tell me. Bhaiya, the main principle is Ahimsa. Very good, Parul. You are absolutely right. It is said, Ahimsa Parmo Dharam Non-violence or ahimsa is our most important duty. Our Tirthankars taught us that we should follow ahimsa in deed as well as in thought. We should not harm anyone either physically or mentally. We acquire paap if we commit hinsa or violence Amit explained. Jiji, remember when you hit me next time you will acquire paap Vidyamaan said gleefully. That goes for you too, Vidyamaan. You also fight with me and hit me Urja retorted. Children, it is not a good thing to fight. Do you know you can acquire paap just by having violent thoughts and thinking badly of others. For example, Vidyamaan supposing you are angry with Urja 32

about something. Now you dont hit her but you think I wish I could hit her or I hope she hurts herself. Just this mere thought is enough for you to acquire paap. So, you see you should follow non-violence in actions as well as thoughts. Have you heard the story about Kulaputra who sincerely followed the doctrine of Ahimsa? No? Ill tell you. Long ago in the city of Rajpur, lived a man named Kulaputra. He had a close friend, Jaindas who followed Jain religion. One day Jaindas was going to listen to the sermon of his spiritual teacher, a Jain monk. Kulaputra decided to accompany Jaindas. The monk spoke about Ahimsa. He said that all living beings are equal and one should love all living things whether it is a huge elephant or a tiny bug. Every living being has the right to live and we should respect their right. The monk exhorted everyone to follow this principle and to never kill or hurt any living being. Kulaputra was highly impressed by the sermon and the principle of Ahimsa illustrated by the monk and then and there, he decided to take a vow never ever to kill a living being for food, no matter what happened. After a couple of years there was a severe drought in the city. Fields dried up, crops died and grain became scarce. The drought was so severe that most people left town and even the strictest vegetarians changed their diet. Fish and small animals such as rabbits, deer, chicken and pigs which were found in the nearby jungles became the main source of food. Such a development posed a challenge to Kulaputras vow of Ahimsa. Because of his vow he could neither catch fish nor eat any other living animal. Many days passed and there was hardly any food in the house but he did not break his vow. Kulaputra even went to the jungle in search of food 33

but he could only find some wild berries and his family remained hungry.

One day his wife got frustrated and said, Cant you see that our children are starving? Dont you feel their hunger? Cant you bring something for them to eat? Please bring some fish, so that I can feed them. I cannot hear their cries anymore. Kulaputra told her, My dear, I have gone looking for food everywhere but I am unable to find anything. I will go again but I cannot kill a fish and eat it. I cannot take another living beings life to save ours. We are vegetarians. I love our children and Im also pained at seeing their hunger but I also love all living beings and I have vowed never to hurt or kill another living being. 34

But his wife kept beseeching him, telling him to think of their hungry children and Kulaputras brother-in-law forcibly took him to the riverbank to catch fish for the family. His wifes pleadings and the cries of his hungry children made Kulaputra go along unhappily and with deep regret he threw his net into water. To his surprise, he caught the most fish. But as he was pulling them out of water he saw the fish thrashing about, uneasy and restless. The sight of the gasping and thrashing fishes moved him. He could not bear their suffering, so he released them. He tried three times and each time he released the fish that he caught. He could not take it anymore so he renounced everything and went on a fast until death. Because of his good karmas of not killing anyone he accumulated punya and after his death was born as a rich merchant Manihars son, in the city of Rajagruhi, and was named Damanak. But that is another story.

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Bhaiya, please tell us the story Aparna pleaded. I will tell you all later. First tell me what our attitude should be towards all living beings? Urja raised her hand. Yes, Urja? Bhaiya, we should have an attitude of compassion. Very good Urja, you are absolutely right. Amit said. Hearing Urja being praised, Vidyamaan became grumpy and said, Amit bhaiya, she only knows because Maa told us. Even I know that we should be kind to everyone just as Lord Mahavir was kind to Chandkaushik. Amit smiled and said, Yes, Vidyamaan, its very good that you both know so much about our religion. You are right that we should be kind and compassionate to everyone. What else should our behavior be like? Gaurav, you tell me? Bhaiya, we should never tell a lie or steal anything. Excellent, Gaurav! These two are very important principles we should follow. We should always speak the truth. I will tell you the story of King Hansa who had taken the vow to always speak the truth. Once upon a time, there was the city of Rajpur, which was ruled by king Hansa. He was a fair and just king and was known for his vows of truth and non-violence. One day in the month of Chaitra, King Hansa decided to visit Mount Ratnasrhinga on which was situated a beautiful temple of Lord Rishabhdev or Adinath Bhagwan. People came from far and wide to visit and worship at this temple. So, King Hansa entrusted his kingdom to his council of ministers and changed out of his royal robes, crown and 36

jewellery into simple clothes and alongwith a few of his courtiers left for his religious yatra. However, just after a few days, his kingdom was attacked by the neighbouring king named Arjuna. Although they put up a brave fight, King Hansas army was defeated and many of his generals lost their lives on the battlefield. King Arjuna gained victory over King Hansas throne and captured his palace and treasury. A couple of messengers reached King Hansa and relayed the story of their defeat. The courtiers who were accompanying him were very upset and advised that they should return to the city.

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But king Hansa remained unperturbed and said, I have temporarily given up my kingdom to fulfil my yatra and I will not return without having darshan of Adinath bhagwan. So, let us proceed to the temple. The kings courtiers were unhappy about the kings decision and worried about the safety of their families at home so one by one they all dropped out until only one servant was left with the king. On the way to the temple they had to cross a dense forest and the king and his servant got separated in the forest. As the king walked on, a deer suddenly ran in front of him and disappeared. Hot in pursuit came a hunter with a bow in his hand and he asked the king if he had seen the deer.

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The king was in a dilemma. He had vowed to never tell a lie but he knew that if he told the truth, the deer would get killed. So, he didnt answer the hunters question and instead said that he came from Rajpur. When the hunter asked him again about the deer, king Hansa answered that he was the king. The hunter thought he was a mad man who was talking of irrelevant matters and so he left angrily. King Hansa too continued walking and after some time became tired and rested under a tree. He overheard two robbers who were hidden in a nearby bush discussing their plan of robbing monks who would pass through this way in the next two days. While the king was thinking about what to do, some soldiers appeared and asked him if he had seen any suspicious people around. They told him that those people were robbers who robbed and harmed monks and passersby and that they had orders to behead them. The king was once again in a dilemma of whether to tell the truth or not. If he told the soldiers about the robbers they would be killed and if he did not, the monks would be harmed. He thought, By telling the truth if someone is going to get harmed or killed then telling that truth is not the truth. Truth is supposed to protect and not harm anyone. He said, My friends, you have been asked to guard the monks. Why not go and escort the monks through the forest. The soldiers took his advice and left to protect the monks. 39

The robbers who were hiding in the bush heard this conversation. They were touched by the mercy shown by this stranger. They came out and thanked him for saving their lives, and told him that they were at his service. The king said, My dear friends, give up harassing and robbing people and become good human beings otherwise the next time you will not be lucky to escape. The robbers promised him that they would not rob anyone anymore and would try to become good human beings and left. King Hansa proceeded on his way. Suddenly, a group of horsemen accosted him and asked him if he had seen king Hansa. The king asked, What do you want from king Hansa? They explained that they were the soldiers of king Arjuna and they had been entrusted with the task of catching and killing king Hansa. King Hansa thought for a moment and then said, I am king Hansa. You are free to carry out your duty as ordered by your king. Saying this, he closed his eyes, stood with folded hands and began reciting the Navkar Mantra. Suddenly, a dev appeared and said, Oh, king! Your truthfulness and compassion have touched me. I have made king Arjun your prisoner and wrested control of your kingdom from him. Today is Chaudash, a good day for worship but the temple is too far from here and you will not be able to reach there on time. My chariot is at your service. Please let me take you there. King Hansa was surprised and gratified by the miraculous turn of the events. Escorted by the dev, he reached the 40

summit of Ratnasringa in time to have darshan and do puja. The dev then escorted him to his kingdom and departed. King Hansa resumed control of his kingdom and pardoned a penitent King Arjun and released his soldiers immediately. Thus, he once again, ruled the city of Rajpur, and had a long and happy reign. So, children just as King Hansa, we all must also always endeavour to speak the truth and should try to remain unperturbed in the face of adversity. Besides being truthful we should also not steal or take something which belongs to someone else without first asking them. But Bhaiya supposing I find a coin on the road and there is no one around then I can take it na? asked Vidyamaan. No, Vidyamaan you should never take something which doesnt belong to you. Amit answered. But bhaiya then what should I do with the coin? Vidyamaan persisted. You can give it to some poor person Sapna said. That is a very good idea, Sapna. Whenever you find something which doesnt belong to you, donate it to someone who needs it. Do you know you all are true followers of Lord Mahavir? How Bhaiya? the children asked. Because you already know most principles which Lord Mahavir taught us. Lord Mahavir said that there are five most important principles which we should follow. They are Ahimsa, Satya, Asteya, Brahmacharya and Aparigraha. Ill write it down for you. 41

Amit got up and wrote on the whiteboard on the wall. Ahimsa means non-violence. Satya means to tell the truth always Asteya means not to take anything which doesnt belong to you Brahamcharya means to be chaste Aparigraha means to have a non-materialistic attitude. The first three you already know, Ill explain the next two. Brahamcharya or chastity means to have control over ones senses. This means not indulging in physical pleasures. Bhaiya what does this mean? Ankur asked. Amit thought for a moment and then said, In simple terms it means that when you grow up and get married you should remain faithful to your partner. Bhaiya, this principle is useless for me because I have decided I will never marry. I hate girls. Vidyamaan was vehement in his views. The entire class burst out laughing. Thank God! some poor girl has been saved from marrying him Urja made a smart rejoinder. Jiji, keep quiet. Amit Bhaiya, this is why I dont want to marry. Girls keep on making stupid jokes. What about Ekta? Urja asked Vidyamaan looked at her angrily. Keep quiet But Urja went on undeterred. Amit Bhaiya, there is a girl in his class, Ekta whom he really likes. 42

So what? She is a friend. That doesnt mean that I want to marry her Vidyamaan said pugnaciously. Children, hold on. We are going off the track here! Urja dont tease Vidyamaan. He is a sweet boy. Hearing himself being described thus restored Vidyamaans good mood and he began beaming. Amit went on, Now the next principle Aparigraha means to have no attachment to people or material things. This means that you should not be too attached to worldly things because once you are not attached to things you will not try to possess them. Bhaiya what does this mean? Santosh asked. Santosh, first tell me, what does your name mean? Bhaiya, my name means satisfaction or contentment. Santosh said with pride. Well said! Aparigraha also means not to accumulate things and to be satisfied and content. We should not be greedy for anything and we should only buy what we need whether it is toys, clothes, books or cars. Bhaiya, Urja jiji has many dolls and clothes but still she wants more. Vidyamaan immediately butted in. Look whos talking? You have more cars and trucks than you need but still you pester mom for more. Urja immediately retaliated. Dont fight children! Amit admonished them. What you have done till now doesnt matter but now you must vow to try and limit your possessions. 43

But Bhaiya, supposing I have a truck but a better truck comes and if I save my pocket money, then why should I not buy it? Vidyamaan persisted. Alright supposing you buy that truck and another model comes along. Then what will you do? I will buy it too. And what will you do when another model comes? Will you buy it too? No Bhaiya, my pocket money will be finished and Mom will not let me buy another one. Vidyamaan said sadly. Then you will feel sad na? Amit asked. Yes, Bhaiya I will feel very sad Vidyamaan said. Now imagine that you are walking on the road sadly wishing you could buy that truck and suddenly you find some money on the road. What will you do? Wow Bhaiya ! I will take it and buy the truck. Vidyamaan immediately said. But then he thought and said, But it will be wrong because you said we should not take anything which doesnt belong to us. So, I think I will not buy it he said dejectedly. Amit patted Vidyamaan on the head, Very good, Vidyamaan. You are a quick learner. This is the point I am trying to make. Greed always increases with possessions and the more we have the more we want. Sometimes our desire for material things can make us so desperate that we may even resort to stealing to fulfil that desire. But if you decide right from the beginning not to buy too many toys or to limit the number of toys that you have then you will never feel disturbed or unhappy. We will learn to be content and 44

live happily with what we need rather than going on accumulating more and more just because we like it. Bhaiya, you are right, in school also our teacher has taught us to follow the three Rs which are Reuse, Recycle and Reduce. She told us that by following these three rules we can save our environment and reduce global warming. Priyanka said. Well said, Priyanka ! The beliefs of our religion and the way of life that Jainism advocates are aimed at enabling human beings to live harmoniously with the environment. Now I think we should finish the class for today. I will see you all tomorrow same time. Word Meaning
Word Aarti Accompany Accosted Adversity Advocated Ample Auspicious Benediction Beseeching Butted Conduct Courtiers Darshan Dejectedly Meaning religious prayer in the form of a song which is sung with lighted diyas go with waylaid, confronted hardship, difficulty promoted sufficient, enough favourable, fortunate blessing insisting, pleading rammed behaviour kings advisors to see sadly, miserably

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Drought Endeavour Entrusted Exhorted Gasping Gratified Harassing Harmoniously Irrelevant Mockingly Mouthed Persisted Pugnaciously Refreshed Rejoinder Restored Sermon Sincerely Summit Suspicious Thrashing Undeterred Vehement Wrested Yatra

famine try hard to do something handed over in good faith urged, pushed out of breath grateful, appreciative troubling amicably, cordially immaterail sarcastically form words silently through the mouth persevered quick to argue or fight re-energized, rejuvenated response reinstated, return lecture genuinely peak doubtful, dubious beating persevering despite setbacks passionate, heated take forcibly journey

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4
Bhaiya, please tell us another story. Please just one. Anubhav beseeched. Alright I will tell you the story of Gunadhar. Once upon a time there was a wealthy merchant called Gundhar. He was extremely rich but led a simple and content life. One day, he went to listen to a Muni Maharaj who had come to his city. The Muni was giving a sermon on the importance of limiting ones wants and desires. He spoke about Aparigraha and told them about Adattadan which means to acquire something by wrong means or without the owners permission. The Muni exhorted the listeners not to take anything which didnt belong to them. When the sermon was over, the merchant came near the Muni, bowed in homage and took the vow that he would never take anything which didnt belong to him. The merchant followed his vow religiously. After some months the merchant had to travel to another country for business. He started on horseback with a convoy of carts loaded with merchandise. When the convoy reached a dense forest, a gang of robbers attacked and overpowered and tied up the merchants men and although the merchant fought valiantly he was driven away. The dacoits drove away with the carts and the merchant lost his way in the dense forest. After some time he came across the convoys footprints and he began tracking them. On the way, he found a twinkling diamond necklace on the ground. Though he had lost a fortune he was not tempted

into picking it up the necklace. He struck his horse with his heels and put it to gallop. As the horse was galloping its hoof struck something on the ground and the horse stopped. The merchant dug the ground where the horses hoof had struck and discovered a jar full of precious stones and jewels. But without being tempted, with perfect detachment, the merchant left the jar and made the horse gallop at greater speed. But misfortune struck and the horse suddenly dropped down exhausted and died on the spot. The merchant felt extremely guilty because he felt that he had caused the premature death of the horse by making him gallop too fast. 48

In despair, he said aloud: Oh, if only someone could restore my horse to life, I would give him my whole treasure. But, his hopes were in vain and the merchant had no choice but to leave his dead horse and proceed on foot. While proceeding alone through the dense forest the merchant became very thirsty, but there was no water, no pond or lake to be seen anywhere. Suddenly he espied a clay pot hanging from a tree. It seemed to be full of water. He came beneath the tree, but he remembered his vow, and shouted, To whom does this jar belong? I am very thirsty. On another branch of the same tree, hung a cage with a parrot inside. The parrot squawked, This belongs to a Hakim. He has gone in search of herbs for medicines in the forest. Nobody knows when he may come back. If you are thirsty, you may drink from the jar. 49

Gundhars throat was parched with thirst and he could barely speak or walk. But he replied, I may die from thirst but I cannot take anything without the owners permission. He sat down with his eyes closed and his hands folded and began uttering the Namokar mantra. Complete silence surrounded him and even the birds seemed to have stopped chirping. He opened his eyes and found to his surprise that neither the clay pot nor the parrot or the cage were there. Instead, there stood a Dev who said, Sire, I am a Vidyadhar and my name is Sur. The monk who had come to your city is my father. I had gone to pay my respects to him when he was delivering the discourse in your city. I had witnessed you taking the vow of Adattadan. And your vow had made me curious because I had gathered that you are a merchant and you would have to travel far and wide for business. I had serious doubts that you would be able to honor your vow. Therefore, I decided to test you by laying all these traps, the necklace, the jar full of treasure and water in the clay pot. I also made your horse fall unconscious and made it seem that he had died. The clay pot, the cage and the parrot were all placed by me on the tree. And I am extremely happy to see that you have passed the test successfully and have not wavered in your determination to carry out your vow. Your will power is truly commendable. The Vidyadhar then produced the necklace, the horse and the jar of treasure and gifted them all to the merchant. Gundhar said, Why are you giving me all these things? The Vidyadhar answered, When I was young my father used to tell me about Aparigraha and Adattadan. He warned me to limit my desires and not be greedy but I didnt listen to him and spent my youth in careless pleasures. But a tragic 50

incident made me realize the futility of material attachment and I vowed to cultivate total detachment. And today in you, I see someone who has achieved total detachment even in the face of adversity. Therefore, I want to make a gift of everything I own to you. Gundhar said, But I cannot take these gifts! The Vidyadhar said, Yes, you can because all these objects belong to me and I have gifted them to you. Gundhar said, Very well. But when my horse had fallen dead I had vowed to bestow all my fortune on the one who would restore it to life and since you have done so, you are henceforth the rightful owner of everything I own. The Vidyadhar said, I know you will not break your vow but I have no need of this treasure so what should we do? Gundhar thought for a moment and said, Since neither of us has any use for it we shall gift this treasure for social or religious purpose. The solution appealed to the Dev and they donated the jar and the necklace to the city council for public good. They set the parrot free. Gundhar also recovered his convoy when the police captured the gang of thieves. From that day onwards, Gundhar adopted the religious way of life even more sincerely and became immersed in Dharma-Dhyan. He spent the rest of his life following the Jain principles faithfully and was reborn in his next life as Lakshmipunj in Hastinapur to Sudharma and Dhanna. His birth turned the fortunes of his parents and they became affluent and wealthy. Amit finished the story. 51

Remember these five principles and try and follow them as much as you can in your daily life. Jai Jinendra, we will meet tomorrow! Jai Jinendra, Bhaiya, the chidren chorused and went in search of their mothers. Urja and Vidyamaan found Maa waiting for them and they went home chattering all the way about the class. It seems you both learnt a lot today Maa said. Yes, Maa, Bhaiya taught us many things and I really enjoyed listening to him Urja answered. He told us stories also. We will go tomorrow also Vidyamaan said. They reached home and found Nanaji waiting for them. They greeted him and told him everything about the class. He too was happy to know that they had learnt so many things. While they were talking to Nanaji, Maa had gone into the kitchen. She came out bearing a glass of milk and some dry fruits. She served them to Nanaji and said, Today again you missed your dinner. What happened? Why were you delayed? Nanaji answered, I had an important meeting and it carried on till 7 o clock. So, I couldnt reach in time. Nanaji, you can have dinner now. Vidyamaan said. Nanaji also eats before sunset Urja explained. But Nanaji, you must be hungry! Cant you eat just today? What difference will it make? Vidyamaan asked. 52

No, beta, a vow is a vow. Staying a little hungry for one day will not harm me. Have you heard the story of Keshav, the boy who took the vow to eat before sunset? When the children nodded in denial he said I will tell you the story before sleeping. The children immediately rushed in to wash their hands and feet and changed into their nightclothes and were in the bed in a jiffy. Word Meaning
Word Adopted Affluent Bestow Commendable Convoy Cultivate Despair Detachment Dharma dhyan Espied Futility Galloped Hakim Homage Jiffy Merchandise Misfortune Overpowered Parched Premature Squawked Tempted Valiantly Meaning accepted wealthy grant admirable, laudable group grow misery, anguish aloofness, objectivity immersed in religious doctrines noticed uselessness dashed a desi doctor who uses herbs to treat ailments respect moment goods bad luck beaten, overcome dried untimely, before time screeched lured, enticed bravely, courageously

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5
Nanaji came and the children curled up on his either side and he began, Once upon a time in the town of Kundanpur, there lived a merchant named Yashodhar and his wife, Rambha. They had two sons, Hans who was thirteen and Keshav, who was fifteen years old. The brothers were inseparable and did everything together whether it was studying, playing or eating. In the morning both of them went to school and in the evening they helped out their father in his shop. One day, they went to a park to play. There they saw a Jain Muni who was giving a sermon. The two brothers sat down to listen to the Muni. The Muni spoke about the value of non-violence or Ahimsa. He said that we should always follow the path of Ahimsa and in our daily life we should observe certain principles so that we commit minimum violence. The Muni spoke about the importance of eating before sunset. The Muni told the audience that eating after sunset was not only unhealthy for the body but also resulted in hinsa because eating at night meant that countless jeev were killed. So, one should avoid eating after sunset and should eat ones dinner before sunset. The Munis words touched a chord deep inside them and they decided to always eat their dinner before sunset. In the presence of the Muni, they took the vow of not eating food at night. The Muni lauded their resolve and with his words inspired them to remain steadfast in their vow.

The brothers returned home. They asked their mother to serve them food before sunset. Their mother couldnt understand why they were saying this. The family was in the habit of eating food late at night. They told their mother about the vow they had taken but she didnt take it seriously. She laughed and said, Dont pull my leg. I know you are trying to play a naughty prank. But when the boys insisted saying they were serious she rebuked them and told them not to behave foolishly by indulging in such odd things. Later, as was customary, food was served at night. As Yasodhar sat down for dinner, he inquired about his sons. They came in and sat down but would not eat anything. Rambha told Yashodhar about the boys vow. 55

Yashodhar also thought that the boys were playing a prank and said, Enough of your mischief! Come and have your food. But the boys remained steadfast and refused to touch their plates. Faced with their obdurate attitude Yashodhar became furious and said, Dont act big for your age. You are children and you should behave like children. I will not have you turning into agents of some other religion. I wont allow this in my family. But the two brothers remained adamant. Jasodhar then tried to reason with the boys, This is neither the habit nor the custom in our family. You are going against our family traditions. But the boys went to bed without food. Yashodhar asked his wife not to give the boys any food during the day, so that their hunger would force them to eat when food was served at night. The next day, their mother just served breakfast and when the boys asked her to give them dinner before sunset, she said, Food will be ready at night. There is nothing remaining from the morning which you can take. So, behave like good boys and have your dinner at night with your father. It is your duty to abide by the wishes of your parents. The two brothers went to their fathers shop without eating anything and carried out their regular duties. At night, the father again asked the boys to have dinner but both of them declined and went to sleep hungry. Jasodhar gave strict instructions to his wife to remain steadfast in not serving 56

food to them during the day. He warned her not to give into emotions or feel sorry for the boys. The next day, the father made the boys carry out such a heavy load of duties that they had no time to eat food during daytime. Although hungry the boys again declined to eat at night. In this way, five days passed with the boys remaining hungry and refusing to eat at night. On the sixth day, Jasodhar sent for both of them. He tried hard to persuade them to give up the vow. He tried logic and reasoning arguing that people had been eating food late at night since ages and that there was nothing wrong in it. He said that if eating at night had been unhealthy or immoral surely so many people wouldnt do so but majority of the people ate at night and there was nothing wrong with it. Then he tried to use emotional blackmail saying that their mother was also on fast because of them, and hadnt eaten for the past five days. He further added that everybody in the family was miserable because of their vow and asked them to change their stubborn attitude. Of the two brothers the younger boy, Hans was unable to bear his hunger any longer and was slowly giving way. Full of indecision, he looked at Keshav for guidance. But Keshav remained steadfast as a rock. He told his father that they had taken the vow to eat before sunset and they wouldnt give it up. He added that in doing so they werent hurting anyone and so it shouldnt matter to anyone. Yashodhar again demanded that the boys give up the vow. Keshav replied humbly, I respect you, father but you should not interfere in this religious matter. It is a matter of personal choice and I should be allowed to do as I want. 57

Jasodhar could no longer contain himself. He burst out in extreme rage, How dare you say all this you bad boy? This is my house and you have to obey me. If you dont obey me, I wont allow you to stay in my house. Get out at once. I dont ever want to see your face. Although faced with his fathers anger and the threat of becoming homeless Keshav did not waver. He preferred courting hardship to giving up the vow. He left his parental home. Hans had been looking with dismay at the proceedings and was about to follow him when his father held his arm and stopped him. He pleaded emotionally with Hans not to leave his poor parents alone. Hans whose resolve had been weakened by hunger submitted to his fathers emotional plea, stayed back and sat down to dine. After leaving his home, Keshav walked a long distance till he reached the outskirts of his town. By now it was evening. On looking around he saw a Yaksha temple nearby where many devotees had assembled to offer worship. They offered their prayers and sang aarti and after the ritual was over were about to partake of the offerings when they saw 58

Keshav. They welcomed him as an honoured guest and offered him some fruits and sweets and begged him to accept them as prasad. Keshav was in a dilemma. If he accepted their offer, he would break the vow and if he declined, he would seem rude. But he tried to explain his dilemma and said, Friends, I am under a vow not to eat anything at night, and I cant transgress it. In fact I have had to leave my home too on this very issue. So kindly excuse me because I cannot give up my vow! The devotees wouldnt listen and persisted, But, Sir, you are our guest, and to entertain a guest is a part of worship. Our worship will be in vain if you dont accept our offer. Unless you eat, no one else will eat, and we will be compelled to go without food. Therefore, for our sakes, please eat with us. But Keshav remained firm and didnt waver. The devotees continued to plead. Arguments and counter-arguments reached an impasse, and there seemed no resolution in sight. Just then a giant emerged out of the idol and advanced toward Keshav and thundered, Keshav! Stop acting in such a haughty manner. My devotees have been fasting and because of your stubbornness are unable to eat. Dont make silly excuses. Come and eat. Otherwise, I will wipe out your existence. He brandished his mace threateningly. Even the threat of certain death was not enough to move Keshav and he remained resolute and firm. He closed his eyes and stood silent and still in a trance. He was ready for the worst. 59

The Yaksha saw that his threats and coercion had failed to move Keshav so, he changed his tactics. He ordered his devotees to bring Keshavs master, the Jain Muni, who had encouraged him to take up the vow and who alone could now change his mind and induce him to eat.

His devotees started at once and returned with a Muni who had been tied fast with ropes. It was the same Muni, Dharmaghosha whose sermon had influenced Keshav and Hans. As soon as the Muni saw Keshav, he lamented, Oh my dear child, what have you done? Why have you offended this Yaksha? 60

Keshav looked at the Muni and understood that this was not the Jain Muni who had inspired him. It was an illusionary figure which the Yaksha had created as part of a plan. The Yaksha addressed the Muni, Muni ! Permit your follower to eat food now. Otherwise, I will put you to death.

The Muni beseeched Keshav, Keshav, my child, because of your vow our lives are in danger. Renounce your vow. If you have any consideration for me, give up the vow for today and take the offering. It is not wrong if one breaks a vow for the sake of a Dev or ones guru. It is not a sin to break a vow and you can follow it again later. Keshav replied, My master follows the path of the Jina, who is free from all attachments. There is no room for fear on such a path. So, a man who is inducing me to give up the vow out of fear for his life cannot be my guru. You are an illusionary figure created by the Yakshas magic. My guru would never ever ask me to break my vow. 61

The Yaksha became furious at this argument. He shouted, You wretched boy ! Eat at once or I will send your guru rolling on the ground! Keshav said, This is not my guru. My guru is a true guru. You would never even have the courage to look into his face. The Muni said in a shaking voice with quivering lips, Keshav, dont doubt my identity. I am the same Muni who encouraged you to take up the vow. I am now exhorting you to eat so that I may be saved. As he said this, tears began rolling down the Munis cheeks and he seemed unable to stand any longer. The Yaksha caught hold of him and dashed him to the ground. The Muni fell down on the ground, senseless. Then, picking up his mace, the Yaksha said to Keshav, All is not lost yet. If you are ready to renounce your vow and prepared to partake of the offering, I shall restore your guru to life. For your devotion to your guru I will also bestow a vast kingdom on you. Untold wealth will be yours and you will never want for anything. But I warn you if you decline now then you will suffer the same fate as your guru. I shall smash you to pieces. Keshav replied with equanimity, This is not my guru. You say you can bestow a kingdom on me and make me rich. But I have no need of a kingdom. It would be better, if you bestow it upon your own followers, so that they may be a richer. You say you can restore a dead man to life then why dont you restore your most devoted followers who are dead? As to death, it is inevitable and unavoidable for all. Sooner or later I will die. I am not afraid of death. But I will 62

not renounce my vow out of fear or out of greed. He gazed at the Yaksha fearlessly. The Yaksha changed his strategy. He embraced Keshav and said, You speak the truth. This man is not your guru. He is a creation of my magical powers. I created him to test your steadfastness. It is also true that no one can restore a dead man to life, nor can one bestow a kingdom on another. I will not force you to break your vow. Then the devotees who stood around Keshav and the Yaksha folded their hands and bowed their heads and said, Sir, we understand that you will only eat after sunrise. You must be tired, having covered such a long distance on foot. We are sorry for having caused so much trouble to you. We beg you to lie down and enjoy a well-earned rest. If you will take food only after sunrise, we shall also do the same. They spread some chatais on the floor and Keshav lay down on it. Worn out from his travails he was soon fast asleep. After some time, the Yaksha woke him up and announced that the sun had risen. Keshav rubbed his eyes and stood up. All his devotees too got up and invited Keshav to wash his face and hands and partake of the offerings. He looked around and saw that it really was daylight, but a sixth sense warned him that it was again a trick being played by the Yaksha. He had a feeling that he hadnt slept for long and it could not be morning so soon. He told the Yaksha, The sun is not yet up. I will pray first. The devotees and the Yaksha began advancing at him threateningly. But Keshav closed his eyes and began 63

reciting the Namokar Mantra. The din around him vanished and there was a dead silence. When, Keshav opened his eyes, he saw to his surprise that everyone had vanished. There was nothing left, neither the temple, nor the Yaksha nor the devotees. Instead, there appeared a glowing figure, who spoke solemnly, Keshav ! You have passed your test. You are fulfilling the vow with the same steadfastness with which you started it. Yesterday in the assembly of devs, a dev praised you eloquently for your steadfastness and determination. I didnt believe that you could remain steadfast for long. So, I decided to test you. And you have proved me wrong. Today, I have proof of your strong will and firm resolve. The ordeal that you underwent was all my creation and I am sorry for the trouble caused to you. I crave your forgiveness and want to grant you a boon.

Keshav replied, Your blessings are all that I require. Bless me that I may continue to fulfill my vow until the end of my life. I dont need anything else. 64

But the Dev insisted, Still I want to bestow something on you. So, ask for something. Keshav responded, But, Sire, as you see, I hardly need anything. I am content. The Dev said, Dont deprive me of the pleasure of bestowing something upon you. I give you the boon that the water which washes the first toe of your foot will heal any disease for good. When in difficulty, you will attain whatever you will crave for. Nothing is unattainable for the virtuous. The Dev then placed Keshav on the outskirts of a city and vanished. The name of the city was Saketa and King Dhananjay was the ruler. It was morning and Keshav entered the city determined to find a temple and offer his prayers before eating something. He found a temple and as he went inside he saw that a religious assembly was in progress. Acharya Dharmashri was giving a discourse to the people assembled there. Keshav also sat down to listen. King Dhananjay was also present in the assembly and was listening to the Acharyas discourse. For quite some time the king had been desirous of renouncing the world and joining the holy order but he had been unable to take this step because of want of a son and successor. When the discourse was over, the king said to the Acharya, Maharaj! I had a dream last night where I saw that in todays assembly there will be a young man who will aid me in my spiritual journey by setting me free from my predicament of finding a worthy successor. Please enlighten me further about the dream and help me find the person whom I can choose as my successor. 65

The Acharyas spiritual powers and superior knowledge enabled him to solve the Kings problem. He pointed towards Keshav and said, Here is the young man indicated in your dream. His name is Keshav. A Dev tested his steadfastness and he deemed him worthy of being a king.

The king was elated. He would finally be able to leave for his spiritual journey. He came to Keshav, embraced him and took him to the palace. Keshav was enthroned as the king of Saketa. Dhananjay joined the holy order. Keshav was a wise and just ruler and the people loved and respected him. One day, Keshav was seated at the palace window when his gaze fell upon an old man in the street who was wearing tattered and filthy clothes. He seemed the very embodiment of poverty and misery. Keshav immediately recognized him as his father. He came out of his palace and touched Yashodhars feet. The old mans joy 66

knew no bounds. He had never thought he would see his son again. And he was stunned to learn that his long lost son was now a king. Keshav brought his father to the palace and ordered his servants to tend to his father and serve food. After his father had bathed and eaten, Keshav enquired about his brother and mother. His father hung his head and said sadly, It is a very tragic tale. After you left, I forced Hans to break the vow. He sat down to dine with me, but as soon as he had eaten he fell violently sick. We called in the doctor at once who told us that the food he ate had become contaminated with a deadly poison. The poison soon spread through his body and although I called many doctors who all tried their best to cure him Hans did not recover. The doctors have forecast that Hans will not survive beyond a month. I could not bear to see his terrible agony and I set out in search of you because the only thing that Hans kept on saying was your name. And now, I have found you. Today it is a month since I left home and I dont know if Hans is alive or dead. Keshav consoled his father and decided to leave immediately to meet his brother. By the grace of the Dev, they reached his fathers house in a moment. His grieving mother hugged him with tear-filled eyes. Hans who was lying on his sick bed greeted his brothers arrival with folded hands and tears rolling down his cheeks. Keshav stood by his brothers bed and saw that Hanss body was emitting a foul smell and his flesh had shrunk. It was an unbearable sight. Keshav felt miserable and bowed his head in despair. Suddenly, he recalled that the Dev had endowed him with magical healing powers. He immediately turned to 67

his mother and gave her instructions to make the potion. In no time the potion was ready and Keshav sprinkled it on Hanss body. Lo! and behold, his rotting flesh began healing. In no time, Hans became all right. It was a day of great rejoicing and happy reunion. The story of Keshavs magical powers spread throughout the city, and other sick people came with their ailments and were cured. Thereafter, Keshav took his family to Saketa where he ruled for many years as a wise and just king. The king issued a special proclamation, which the people gladly followed: Desist from eating at night. Word Meaning
Word Abide Advancing Ailments Assembled Brandished Chatais Coercion Compelled Contaminated Courting Declined Deemed Desirous Elated Embodiment Embraced Equanimity Forecast Meaning obey, bear coming illness gathered wielded bamboo mats used to sit on the floor force forced infected inviting refused thought, believed wanting to, longing for overjoyed personification, symbol hugged composure, calmness predict

68

Grieving Haughty Illusionary Immoral Impasse

Inducing Inevitable Inseparable Lamented Lauded Mace Obdurate, Adamant Offended Ordeal Partake Predicament Proceedings Proclaimed Rebuked Rejoicing Resolution Resolve Strategy Submitted Tactics Tattered Thundered Trance Travails Waver Wretched Yaksha

mourning proud, arrogant unreal morally wrong deadlock, a situation where there is no progress suggesting expected always together, indivisible cried, mourned praised club, stick obstinate angered painful experience, torment share quandary, mess goings on, happenings announced reprimanded, scolded delighted, joyful firm decision decide, determination plan accepted strategy torn, shredded made a loud noise dream, daze painful efforts hesitate, dither vile, shameful a celestial being especially one who bestows wealth

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6
Nanaji ended his story saying, Children whatever vow we take up should be followed with determination and steadfastness. Would you still like me to have my dinner now? No, Nanaji you are right. We should remain firm on our vow. Urja said. Nanaji, please tell us another story about a vow Vidyamaan pleaded. Alright Ive just remembered a story about a boy who was about your age and what he did when he took a vow Nanaji said. He was my age when he took a vow? Even I will take a vow! Vidyamaan was thoroughly excited. First listen to the story then we will see. Once upon a time in a village in Gujarat lived Shripat Sheth and his wife Sundari who were extremely religious and pious Jains. They observed all vows of Jainism such as eating before sunset, going to the temple, doing Swadhaya, practicing ahimsa and helping others. But their son, Kamalsen kept away from all this. He used to waste his time in wandering here and there and kept the company of spoilt boys. He did not believe in religion and never went to the temple. Kamalsens parents had tried everything to make their son imbibe the values of Jainism but in vain. They remained quite upset and anxious about Kamalsens lack of devotion and spirituality but they didnt know what to do.

One day Shri Shilandhar Acharya came to their village and they went to hear his sermon. They told him about their problem and requested the Muni to talk to their son so that he changed his ideas and way of life. The Muni agreed and asked them to send their son to him the next day. On reaching home, Shripat Seth said to Kamalsen, My son, a great muni has come to our village. He is very learned and I want you to come with me and listen to him. The next day the parents took their son to the temple and after bowing to the Acharya they sat down to listen. The Acharya spoke at length about the basic tenets of Jainism and about the concepts of heaven and hell, misery and happiness, paap and punya, Kevalgyan and moksh. After the discourse, the Acharya asked Kamalsen My son, did you understand what I said? Kamalsen bowed his hands and said Forgive me Acharyaji I was so busy noticing the windpipe movements in your throat that I didnt follow what you were saying. On hearing this, his parents were filled with dismay and wanted to scold him but the Acharya held up his palm and told them not to say anything. He told them that the boy would learn only when the time came. The parents took the Acharyas advice and returned home disappointed. After some days, another great sage, Acharya Gunsagarsuri visited the village and again the parents took him to listen to the Muni. The Acharya also spoke about the basic tenets of Jainism in his sermons. But because his preaching was in the form of stories and incidents, people used to find it extremely interesting. Kamalsen too listened with interest and began to visit the Acharya every day. 71

After a few weeks, the time came for the Acharya to leave town. Kamalsen joined the people in sending him off. Before going the muni asked everyone to observe any one vow in their life. Different people took different vows. Some vowed to always eat before sunset while some others vowed to forsake eating potato and other root vegetables. The Acharya asked Kamalsen also to take a vow. Kamalsen was silent for a moment and then he said, I will not tell a lie except in the dark and bright halves of the month. I shall not put a whole coconut into my mouth nor shall I eat cow dung. Shripet Sheth and Sundari were very embarrassed at their sons ridiculous vows and scolded him. On being scolded Kamalsen felt slightly ashamed of his facetious remarks and to make amends, vowed not to eat lunch without looking at the bald head of Simelo, the village potter. This was an easy vow for him to follow because his room overlooked the potters cottage and he saw the potter at least a dozen times a day. The Acharya was pleased with Kamalsen for taking a vow and blessed him. But his parents remained sad because they knew Kamalsen had taken the vow just for the sake of taking it. 72

One day, Kamalsen was about to eat his lunch when his mother reminded him about his vow. Simelo had not been seen since morning because he had gone out to the forest to dig clay for his pots. Kamalsen immediately ran to the forest to find the bald potter. Meanwhile, in the forest Simelo who had been digging for clay, found a jar full of gems and precious stones. Afraid that someone would see it he began to hide it underneath a heap of soil. Just then, Kamalsen who reached there shouted, I have seen it, I have seen it.

Kamalsen was referring to the potters bald head, while the potter thought that Kamalsen was referring to the jar of gems which he was trying to hide. 73

The potter did not want anyone else to know about the jar of gems because he was afraid he would have to give them up. So, he called Kamalsen and whispered, I will share this pot with you and give you half of it but only if you dont tell anyone else. At first, Kamalsen was surprised because he didnt understand what the potter was talking about. But when the potter showed him the pot of jewels he quickly understood what the matter was. He nodded his head and promised and accepted half the treasure and returned home. As he was walking home, Kamalsen thought long and deep. He thought, A vow that I had taken as a joke has given me this much wealth. If I had taken a vow in seriousness it would have been so much more rewarding. The muni was absolutely right that vows give us unimaginable riches. This incident changed Kamalsens attitude totally. He decided to follow the tenets of Jainism and to observe vows sincerely. He developed a strong moral character and went on to lead a happy and prosperous life. Wow, I didnt know that even a small and strange vow can bring untold happiness. Urja said in wonder. Nanaji even I want to take a vow. What vow shall I take? Vidyamaan asked eagerly. Hmm Nanaji pretended to think. Why dont you vow not to ever buy any truck? Urja said slyly. Vidyamaan didnt like the idea and made a face. He thought long and hard and then pronounced, No, this is a very tough vow. Kamalsen took an easy vow. Even I will take an 74

easy vow and then when I grow up I will take a tougher vow. Nanaji smiled in amusement and Urja began laughing. Vidyamaan looked at her angrily. Why are you laughing? At least I am taking a vow. You are older than me but you are not even thinking of it. Nanaji interrupted them before a fight broke out. Hes right Urja. One should always take a vow out of ones free will so that one follows it happily. Why dont you take a vow to always tell the truth? But Nanaji, I dont lie! I always tell the truth Vidyamaan said. Then it will be easy for you to follow this vow. So, I suggest you both take this vow Nanaji said gently. The children kept silent for a moment. Actually Nanaji, sometimes, I do tell a lie. When I broke my toy truck I hid it and told mom that I couldnt find it Vidyamaan said shamefacedly. Nanaji, sometimes when I dont want to drink milk I quietly give it to the street dog and lie to mom that I have drunk it Urja too confessed. Nanaji tried not to smile and said, Never mind! What you have done in the past is over. From this moment take the vow to always tell the truth. Telling the truth gives immense strength and an inner happiness and you will make your mother extremely proud of her truthful and honest children. You are right, Nanaji! I vow that I will always tell the truth Urja said in an impassioned tone. 75

Jiji, I will also tell the truth and next time if I break my toy I will tell mom even if she punishes me! Vidyamaan said trying to be valiant. Nanaji beamed and hugged them both Very good! Remember this vow always. Now its time to sleep! Good night! The children went off to sleep. Word Meaning
Word Amends Confessed Devotion Dismay Embarrassed Facetious Imbibe Immense Impassioned Kevalgyan Learned Pious Rewarding Ridiculous Shamefacedly Slyly Spirituality Tenets Meaning compensate admitted great loyalty, religious worship disappointment uncomfortable, mortified teasing absorb huge emotional highest, purest knowledge knowledgeable deeply religious satisfying absurd awkwardly cunningly to do with religion or the spirit

central principles

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7
The next day dawned bright and clear. The children were up early and after brushing their teeth came out of their room. They found Maa and Nanaji sitting in the garden and doing yoga and prananyam. Jai Jinendra Maa, Jai Jinendra Nanaji they said in unison. Their grandparents hugged and kissed them. Maa, mom and dad also do pranayam everyday. Do all Jains do it? Vidyamaan asked. Maa smiled and said, Not just Jains, many people all over the world do yoga and pranayam everyday. It helps us to keep fit and healthy both physically and mentally. Did our Tirthankars also do Yoga and prananyam? Vidyamaan asked. Maa laughed. Yes, our Tirthankars did advanced yoga and pranayam when they carried out severe tapasya for many years. They would sit or stand in dhyan and meditate. At times they would remain in the same position for years. Now sit down and do some Pranayam. Nanaji made them sit down and taught them Kapalbhati, Anulom Vilom and Bhastrika. The children enjoyed doing these exercises. Nanaji, Im feeling very light as if there is a lot of air inside me. Urja said in wonder.

Beta, if you do these exercises regularly you will feel better physically plus you will be able to concentrate better. Cmon, its time to go now. They trooped inside the house. Go and take a bath and then we will go to the mandir. Today we all will do puja Maa told them. They went to the mandir and now because Urja and Vidyamaan understood the meaning behind each action, they did everything with deep feeling. After darshan they sat down with Maa and Nanaji on the chatai on the floor. Maa took out samagri and made a design on the table in front of her with it. What are you making? This is a Swastika. The Swastika is a sacred symbol in Jainism. The four sides of Swastika symbolize the four forms of existence of all souls. All worldly souls continuously pass through a never ending cycle of birth, suffering and death. Depending on their karmas, they take on either of four forms which are:

Dev gati or heavenly beings Manushya gati or human beings Tiryanch gati or animals, birds and plants Narak gati or beings in hell.
The three dots that I have made above it represent the three jewels of our religion which are:

Samyak Darshan or Right Faith Samyak Gyna or Right Knowledge Samyak Chritra or Right Conduct.
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We should follow these three principles if we want to achieve moksh. What does moksh mean? Urja asked. Moksh means salvation or liberation from pain and suffering. All our Tirthankars attained moksh. The ultimate aim of every living being is moksh. The crescent of the moon that I have drawn represents the region known as Moksha. This region is the permanent place where the liberated souls reside. Maa and Nanaji began reciting verses from the Jinvaani. Some of them sounded familiar to Urja an Vidyamaan because they had heard their mother reciting them. Every time Maa and Nanaji recited the argh they would say Swaha which was echoed with great diligence by Urja and Vidyamaan and they would place the samagri on the table. After the puja finished and they were leaving the temple they saw a muni coming towards them. They all bowed down. The muni raised his hand and blessed them and carried on walking. Maa, why dont out Munis wear clothes? Vidyamaan asked. Beta, they have renounced all material things in this world and because clothes are also material possessions they give up clothes as well. Maa replied. At school when we were reading about Jain monks, my friends made fun of me because our monks dont wear clothes Urja recounted. How dare they laugh at you! You just wait! When I reach school, Ill beat them up Vidyamaan said angrily. 79

No, beta, everyone has the right to express his or her opinion. Next time when someone makes fun of any Muni, just tell them to look at the Munis face. Although they eat just once a day and lead an austere life and their faces glow and shine. It is the glow of santosh and inner peace. True Munis dont have any needs and so they live accordingly. Have you heard the story of the king who wanted to give gold coins to monks? Urja and Vidyamaan shook their heads. Once upon a time, there was a king called Harshavardhan. One day, he had a dream in which a celestial being appeared and asked him to honour Jain monks. He called one of his ministers and gave him a bag of gold coins and told him to give the coins to all the Jain monks in the kingdom. The minister searched for monks all day, but he could not find a single monk to give the coins to. He came back to court in the evening and returned the bag of coins back to the king. The minister told the king that he could not find any Jain monk to whom he could give the coins. The king became very angry and said, What nonsense! You could not find a single monk, in such a big city. The minister replied that true Jain monks did not accept the gold coins. The others who wanted the coins, were not true monks, because true monks do not take money. They have given up all the concerns about their future needs and do not need any money. The minister added that the king had asked him to honour true monks and not people who wore 80

the clothes of monks but did not observe the religious principles. So, he returned without giving any coins. The ministers explanation calmed the king and made him think. Harshvardhan realized that his minister was right, and that he should think of a different way of honouring monks. He began attending their discourses and listened to their sermons and followed their teachings in his life. He thus, fulfilled the directions of the dev in his dream in the true sense Maa said. I hope now you will be able to explain to all your friends about our munis so that they dont make fun of them anymore Maa added. Maa, do the munis eat only once a day? Urja asked. Yes, beta, they eat only once a day and that too while standing and they dont use any utensils to eat. They take the food which is offered to them in their cupped palms and eat it. Maa told them. But supposing they want to eat pizza and no one offers it to them then how will they eat it? Vidyamaan questioned. Maa and Nanaji laughed in amusement. Beta, our Munis dont eat such food. They eat only selected food items and dont eat vegetables such as onion, potato, carrot etc. which grow underground Nanaji said. But thats so tough! How can they not eat burger, pizza and aaloo ka parantha? Vidyamaan was flabbergasted. Maa smiled. Tell me something. Supposing a friend of yours who loves eating non-vegetarian food asks you to eat it saying it is very tasty. Will you eat non-vegetarian food? 81

No, Maa never! Urja and Vidyamaan both answered in unison. Why? How can we kill a living being for our food? Urja said. Similarly our Munis believe that uprooting and cutting these vegetables results in the death of hundreds of tiny microorganisms and so they dont eat them. Maa answered. But Maa, mom says we will become weak if we dont eat green vegetables. So, even the Munis must be weak Vidyamaan asked. No, beta, our Munis are not weak. They are very strong and have immense will power. They can bear the greatest of pain and suffering without complaining and with calmness. Have you heard the name of Muni Metarya? Nanaji asked the children. They both shook their heads. Muni Metarya was a young Muni who with great reluctance had joined Lord Mahavirs holy order. Although he had donned the Munis white robe, he was not mentally prepared for it. A deep lust for life pulled him back. He longed for physical comforts and was unable to free himself from attachment. But gradually, he observed that his fellow Munis were totally immersed in studies, meditation, penance, and philosophical discussions and moved from village to village for food. 82

Seeing their state of total detachment he too felt a change overcoming him. He controlled his desires and limited his requirements. Many years passed and he spent his time mastering the scriptures and practising severe penances. The extreme penances and vows that he observed made his body lean and emaciated. But his declining physical powers led to an increase in his spiritual powers and he became firmly rooted in Ahimsa and became totally detached.

One day Metarya arrived at the town of Rajgruhi where he undertook a fast for thirty long days. After thirty days, he went out to seek food and break this fast. He reached a goldsmiths house. The goldsmith was a master craftsman 83

and crafted beautiful pieces of jewellery. That day he was sitting outside his house in the verandah, working on a gold necklace for the king. He was making the necklace out of tiny golden beads which were the size and shape of ripe wheat grains. The goldsmiths skill and expertise made the beads look like real wheat grains. When Muni Metarya came toward his house, the goldsmith got up and greeted him and welcomed him for alms. He then went inside his house to fetch food for the Muni. Meanwhile, a bird perched on a nearby tree, had been observing the beads and mistaking them for real grains swooped down and gulped and swallowed all the beads and immediately flew back to its perch on the tree. Muni Metarya witnessed the entire incident but didnt say anything. The goldsmith came back and gave the food to the Muni. Suddenly, he noticed that the beads were no longer there. Worried and anxious, he looked everywhere but couldnt find them. The beads belonged to the king and were very precious. If he failed to deliver it to the king he would be severely punished. Suddenly his gaze fell on Muni Metarya. He asked the Muni if he had taken the necklace. The Muni replied, No, I havent taken it. Then the goldsmith asked, Who has taken it? But the Muni didnt reply because he knew that if the goldsmith came to know that the bird had swallowed the beads he would kill the bird and take out his beads. The Munis vow of Ahimsa kept him silent. The Munis silence increased the goldsmiths suspicions and he angrily denounced the Muni. Still the Muni remained 84

silent. This enraged the goldsmith further and he angrily abused the Muni. But this too had no effect on the Muni. The goldsmith became blind with anger and lost his self control. He wanted to force the Muni into telling the truth so he tied a piece of raw hide around the Munis forehead and pushed him in the sun. But the goldsmith did not realize that Muni Metarya was a real monk who was willing to give up his life, to save the life of a bird.

As the hide became dry, it contracted and squeezed his forehead. The Muni felt suffocated and faint but he remained firm and calm. He was in full control of his mind and did not allow his physical pain to overcome his mind and spirit. He bore the pain stoically and maintained his equanimity by thinking, Why should I worry about this body which is perishable and bound to die one day? 85

He didnt harbor any illfeeling towards the goldsmith and forgave him. He attained kevalgyan. But his body which had already been weakened by the thirty days of fast could bear no more and he fell down on the ground. As the Muni fell down, the sound of the crash startled the bird from its perch on the tree and it vomited the beads. The goldsmith saw the bird vomiting the beads on the ground and he finally realized the truth. Penitent and remorseful he rushed to the Muni and fell at his feet. But it was too late. The Muni was no more. The goldsmith was filled with guilt. He wished he had controlled his anger. He realized that deep passions and uncontrolled anger can lead to drastic consequences. He became disgusted with himself and was full of self loathing. He decided to renounce the world and gave up his house, money and family and joined Lord Mahavirs holy order where he spent the rest of his life. Nanaji concluded the story. But Nanaji, the goldsmith should have been punished for killing Muni Metarya! Vidyamaan said vehemently. Beta, tears of heartfelt repentance can wash away even the cruelest of deeds. The blackest of sinners who takes a dip in the river of repentance comes out shining like an angel. 86

The goldsmith heartfelt repentance enabled him to achieve liberation like Muni Metarya Nanaji said. Word Meaning
Word Abused Denounced Dhyan Drastic Enraged Flabbergasted Gulped Loathing Perishable Pranayam Severe Stoically Suffocated Swooped Tapasya Witnessed Meaning ill-treated condemned intense concentration extreme angered shocked guzzle dislike fragile Yogic breathing exercises strict endure pain without complaining choked jumped down to carry out severe penances saw

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Nanaji, the life of a muni is very tough. Why do they observe such severe penances and follow such strict rules? Vidyamaan asked. Beta, the life of a Muni is tough but they are free from all cravings and they lead a contented life. They possess great spiritual power and acquire immense knowledge which enables them at times to foresee the future as well as know about past lives. Ill tell you the story of Maheshvardatt whose life changed after an encounter with an enlightened Muni. Once upon a time in city of Vijaypur there was a rich merchant named Maheshvardatt. He lived in a beautiful, huge mansion with his wife and parents. Maheshvardatt and his parents lived a lavish and extravagant life. They spent all their time in the pursuit of pleasure and comfort and despite being Jains, ate non-vegetarian food and drank liquor. However, Maheshvardatts wife Achla was very pious and religious. She followed the tenets of Jainism and visited Jain munis and listened to their discourses and observed various vows. Achla gave birth to a handsome and charming boy. Maheshvardatt especially dotted on him and couldnt bear to be parted from his son even for a day. One day, Maheshvardatts father fell ill. He received the best medical treatment but his condition did not improve. Despite knowing that death was near, he remained preoccupied with material considerations and worried, What

will happen to my wife, my son, my property and my herd of cattle? Maheshvardatt saw his father worried and uneasy and asked, Father, why are you worried? Let me know what you desire and I shall fulfill it. Please dont worry at all. The father replied, Son, you are wise and diligent, and I know you will look after our money and property well. Take good care of our herd of buffaloes. And on every Shraddha sacrifice a young buffalo. Dont forget. With these words the father died. A few months later, Maheshvardatts mother also died crying, My house, my family, my money, my property!

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A year passed and the day of Shraddha came and Maheshvardatt remembered his promise to his father. He searched for a young buffalo in the market but was unable to find a good one in the price quoted. Hence, he decided to sacrifice a young buffalo in his herd. Although, Achla tried hard to convince him that it was cruel to kill it was all in vain. The morning of the Shraddha, the buffalo was sacrificed and its meat cooked and made ready to be served to relatives. Maheshvardatt stood waiting for his relatives, at the door of his mansion. He was holding his son in his arms and caressing him. Just then a female dog entered and started sniffing around for food. Maheshvardatt became very angry and he threw a wooden stick at the dog. The stick hit the dogs ankle and it broke and she ran away limping and howling.

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While all this was happening, a renowned Jain Muni who possessed avadhigyan, was passing by and he gave a mysterious smile. Maheshvardatt became curious about the Munis smile and he approached the Muni with folded hands and asked, Maharaj, why did you smile just now? The Muni replied, It would be better if you do not know. But Maheshvardatt insisted on knowing. The Muni said, Well, if you insist, I have no objection in telling you. The Muni said, As you may know, many a times, a persons next life is determined by the cravings and desires he or she has during the last moments of life. Today, you are performing Shraddha of your father and for that you have sacrificed a young buffalo. That buffalo was your own father in previous life. At the time of his death your father was anxious about his herd of cattle and so after his death he was reborn as a male-buffalo in his own herd. Maheshvardatt was shocked and pained to hear this. He said Lord, is it true? What have I done? The Muni replied, This is true, but the matter does not end here. The dog whose ankle you just broke, was your mother in previous life. At the time of her death she too was beset by thoughts of her house, her children and her family. Because of these thoughts she was reborn as a dog in your street and loitered around your house. Maheshvardatt put his head in his hands numb with sorrow. The Muni continued, I have more to tell you. You had a business rival whom you hated and who died in an accident. 91

That hated enemy of yours has been reborn as your son whom you love so much. Hearing these words Maheshvardatt felt ashamed and disgusted with himself and this world. He fell at the feet of the Muni and pleaded, Maharaj, enlighten me! Help me rise above this illusionary world. Show me the way out so that I may lead a worthy life. The Muni raised his hand and blessed him. The desire for spiritual enlightenment is the first step on the path of eternal happiness. From that day onwards, Maheshvardatt and Achla led their lives, following the path shown by the Muni and when the time came, renounced their worldly life and achieved salvation. Maa concluded the story just as they reached home. The children had their breakfast and then after the customary fight over who would get the remote first sat down to watch television. They were allowed to watch television for one hour each every day. After finishing her chores, Maa also came and sat with them. Suddenly an advertisement exhorting everyone to eat an egg every day rolled up. Sunday ho ya Monday , Roz khao ande it said. 92

Vidyamaan spoke, Maa, why do people eat eggs and non vegetarian food? Dont they know it is wrong to kill? Maa gently caressed Vidyamaans head. Beta, there are millions of human beings in the world. And each one is unique. Each one has different beliefs, thoughts and ideas. We believe it is wrong to kill other living beings for food but there are others who believe that animals have been created especially for humans. And there are still some others who kill just because they enjoy the taste of meat. But it is wrong and evil! Urja said. Tell me something. Isnt it wrong to steal and tell lies? Of course it is, Maa! Urja said Still people steal and tell lies even though they know that they will be punished if they are caught. There is a famous saying, We should hate the sin not the sinner. There are all kinds of people in the world and one should learn to tolerate everyone with kindness. Instead of bothering about others actions we should be concerned about our behavior. Ones Karmas or actions are ones own and cannot be affected by another person. We are responsible for what we do so we should always behave well. If we do bad karmas we will accumulate paap karmas and reap bad rewards just like the merchant Sagarpot. Maa said. Maa, please tell us about Sagarpot the children beseeched. I think you know the story of Kulputra, dont you? Bhaiya had told you the story during your dharma class. Kulaputra had faithfully followed the vow of Ahimsa and because of his good karmas had been reborn as a rich merchants son. The 93

merchant, Manihar had named his son Damanak. When Damanak was eight years old, an epidemic broke out in the city, and wiped out his entire family. Damanak was the sole survivor. There was no one left to look after Damanak. He fell victim to dishonest neighbours who appropriated his wealth and house and he became a poor orphan boy forced to roam about here and there. One day, a merchant named Sagarpot saw him and taking pity on him, gave him shelter in his house. Some months later, a monk came to Sagarpots house for alms. The monk saw Damanak and prophesied that his good karmas were going to mature shortly, and soon he would be the head of the household.

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Sagarpot was taken aback by the monks utterances but kept silent. He was disturbed by the thought of his fortune being inherited by Damanak because he wanted his own son to be the head of the household, not some poor boy whom he had picked up out of pity. Therefore, he decided to kill Damanak. He sent for the butcher, and secretly ordered him to take Damanak into the forest and kill him.

The butcher took the boy to the forest and was about to kill him when the look of innocence on the boys face made him pause in the act of killing him. He changed his mind about killing Damanak and decided to ignore Sagarpots instructions. 95

But to convince Sagarpot that he had killed the boy he cut Damanaks little finger off and set him free in the forest. He told the boy to leave and never return to that area again. Left alone, Damanak started wandering in the forest where he was spotted by a cow herder who had come to the forest to graze his cows. The cow herder asked him about himself and Damanak told him his story. The cow herder was filled with compassion for him and took Damanak to live with him and his wife. Several years passed and Damanak grew up to be a fine, young and strong man. He was extremely religious and practiced ahimsa and lived simply. One day, Sagarpot while traveling on business, stopped at the village where Damanak

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was living. He saw the young man and liked him right away. When Sagarpot inquired more about him, he realized that this young man was the same boy whom he had tried to kill years ago. His anger returned and he immediately planned to kill Damanak. He asked the cow herder if he would spare the young man to take his message back to his home. The cow herder agreed and Sagarpot gave Damanak a letter to be delivered to his son. Damanak left to deliver the letter. Damanak walked swiftly and reached the outskirts of the Rajagruhi city. He decided to stretch his legs for a while and take a nap. He saw a temple and lay down in the courtyard under a shady tree. He kept his bundle and the letter he was carrying, by his side and dozed off to sleep. It just so happened, that after he fell asleep, Sagarpots daughter Bisa came to the temple. She was impressed by the handsome young man who was sleeping and went closer shyly for a closer look. She noticed that there was letter next to Damanak. Overcome with curiosity she picked it up. She found to her surprise that it was addressed to her brother. Her curiosity now knew no bounds and she opened the letter and read it. She was puzzled to find that her father was the sender of the letter and he had written in the letter, Yah ladaka jaise hi vahan aye, usko bis poison de dena. Translated it meant that As soon as this boy arrives there, give him poison (Bis). Bisa was thoroughly shocked and could not understand why her father had written such a command. She looked at the young man who looked innocent and gentle. She had fallen in love with him and wanted to marry him. So, she changed the message, Yah ladaka jaise hi vahan aye, usko bisa the 97

girl de dena, meaning, As soon as this boy arrives there, give him Bisa (his daughter). She then put the letter back where it was and left.
Damanak awoke from his sleep and delivered the letter to Sagarpots son. His son read the message and was puzzled why his father would ask him to get his sister married to Damanak. But since that was his fathers wish, he obeyed it. Damanak was also confused, but he liked Bisa when he met her and so he agreed readily. Bisas brother carried out the marriage with great celebration and joy.

When Sagarpot came back home and found out what had happened he became murderous. But he did not express his 98

intentions to anybody. He again hatched a plot to kill Damanak, even though he was now his son-in-law. He decided to hire someone to kill Damanak and asked him to keep a close watch on Damanak and kill him as soon as he found the opportunity. One day, Sagarpot, his wife, their daughter and Damanak went to a marriage in the neighbouring village. Sagarpots son didnt accompany them since he was away on business and was supposed to return after three days. Sagarpot decided he would send Damanak back on the pretext of work and informed the hit man about his plan. As planned after some time, Sagarpot sent Damanak back to the village to run an errand. Damanak reached his village but since he was feeling tired decided to go home and rest first. On reaching home, he found the house locked. So he rested on the sofa on the porch. The hit man followed him, but he felt that Damanak was a strong man and it would not be easy to kill him with bare hands. So he went to fetch a sword. Damanak rested for a while but then he remembered the errand he had to carry out for Sagarpot. So, he got up and left for his work. Meanwhile, Sagarpots son who had been out of town on business and was supposed to return after three days, finished his work a day early and came back. He came to the house but found the house locked and decided to rest on the charpoy on the porch. He soon fell asleep. The hit man came back, and hastily without confirming whether it was Damanak or somebody else cut off the sleeping mans head. When he saw the severed head the hit man realized he had actually killed Sagarpots son and ran away terrified. 99

After some time when Sagarpot and the rest of the family came home, they found the body in blood. Sagarpot was struck dumb with grief when he learnt that it was his son who had been killed. His wife and daughter lamented with sorrow and Sagarpot realized that he had been punished for his crime. Sagarpot now realized that he had been trying to change the destiny of the young man and that ones fate or karmas cannot be changed by someone else. A persons actions determine his or her fate and not the fate of someone else. That is why despite all his attempts he failed to change Damanaks fate and instead all his attempts rebounded on him and increased his suffering. He handed over the reins of the household and business to Damanak. Damanak became wealthy as predicted but continued to live simply and viewed all living beings with compassion. He 100

carried out his duties for many years and lived happily ever after. Maa, what happened to Sagarpot? Vidyamaan asked. Beta, he renounced everything and retired to a Jain ashram in the forest and carried out the rest of his life doing penance for his wrong actions. Maa said. He must have spent the rest of his life being unhappy and sad because his son died because of him Urja said with feeling. 101

Yes, initially he was filled with sorrow but he learnt the important lesson that Raag and Dvesh are the root cause of all our suffering. What are Raag and Dvesh? Urja asked. Raag means attachment and Dvesh means aversion or dislike. Sagarpot was deeply attached to his son and to his property. He developed Dvesh or dislike for Damanak because he loved his son and didnt want Damanak to inherit his property. So, these feelings governed the way he acted. And when he renounced he gained knowledge that to be detached is the correct way to live. So, he lived the rest of his life in complete detachment not letting passions sway him. Maa explained. What exactly is detachment? Urja asked. Detachment means to have no attachment to anyone or anything in this world. This is the way our Tirthankars lived and they are also called Veetraagi which means someone who is devoid of all attachments. Maa explained. But Maa I am very attached to mom and dad. How can that be wrong? Vidyamaan was confused. Beta, it is not wrong as such but it becomes wrong if like Sagarpot you let your attachment lead you into wrong behavior. For example, if someone says something bad about your mother what will your reaction be? Maa, Ill beat them up! Vidyamaan said angrily. And you Urja? What will you do? Maa asked softly. I may not beat them but Ill feel very bad and depressed Urja said slowly. 102

Isnt that what Sagarpot did? First he felt sad that his son wouldnt inherit his property and then he became angry and tried to kill Damanak. So, you see we should always maintain a balance in our thoughts and our behaviour. We should control our passions so that our emotions dont lead us astray. Now Ill tell you a story about a young princess Mairavati who maintained her inner balance even in the face of adversity Maa paused for a moment. Word Meaning
Word Acquire Appropriated Craving Destiny Encounter Epidemic Errand Extravagant Howling Lamented Lavish Penance Prophesied Pursuit Shraddha Utterances Meaning obtain take for ones use longing fate meet A communicative disease like plague task excessive crying cried in grief abundant self-punishment predicted follow yearly ritual performed for the dead

sayings

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Once upon a time, Ripumardan was the king of Ksitipratisthita and Vasundhara was his first queen. She was a devoted Shravika and followed the tenets of Jainism religiously. She gave birth to a daughter who was named Mairavati. Mairavati was her mothers daughter, a mixture of beauty, conduct, and intellect. The king made proper arrangements for her education, and very soon she became proficient in all the branches of learning. Her mother was in charge of her spiritual education. One day, when the court was in session, Mairavati was sent there by her mother. She was dressed in the finest of robes and ornaments. The princess bowed before her father the king, who affectionately received her and made her sit on the throne with him. The king was a good ruler but he was also haughty and proud. Addressing the courtiers, he said, Do you think there is another monarch on this earth who is as rich and powerful as I am? The courtiers vied with each other to flatter the king.

Your Majesty, no monarch on this earth is as wealthy, powerful and strong as you are! one said. Another courtier went further and said, No monarch even in his dreams can hope to be as worthy and illustrious as you are, your majesty. The princess however, didnt agree with these utterances. She signified her dissent by shaking her head. The king saw his daughters disapproving shake and boomed loudly, Dont you agree my daughter? Mairavati bowed her head and said, Sire, whatever the courtiers have stated is mere flattery and a total violation of truth. On this earth, there are many monarchs who are in possession of equivalent treasure, court, and kinsmen. Are these really things to be proud of?

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This observation did not go down well with the king. He asked the courtiers again, By whose kindness are you happy? Your Majesty ! Can there be any question about it? We all are happy because of your kindness one courtier answered. Your majesty you are like the Kalpa-vriksh (wish fulfilling tree) showering happiness on us another one said flatteringly. What do you have to say now, my daughter? the king asked Mairavati. The princess said, Father, the courtiers are indulging in nothing but flattery. A persons happiness is the outcome of his or her karmas. If you are the one who bestows happiness then why dont you make everyone equally happy? Some of your courtiers are more happy and others are less happy. This is the outcome of their respective karmas. You are only an instrument of its operation. The king became furious at his daughters insubordination. He said, How dare you call me a mere instrument. The clothes that you wear and the food that you eat are a result of my largesse. The moment I want I can withdraw these riches. You dare challenge me? Mairavati remained unperturbed. Sire, my birth in your royal household and the affluence I enjoy are the outcome of inexorable karmas. The kings rage reached the highest pitch. He burst out, Foolish girl! Who has taught you all this nonsense? You are an enemy in the garb of my daughter. Dont you know that 106

it is my favorable glance that can make a poor man rich and it is my angry glance that can ruin one forever. If you accept this truth well and good otherwise I will dispose you off to some poor man. Father, you are mistaken. If righteous karmas do not favor me, even the best of grooms chosen by you will turn pauper. But if I have favorable karmas, even a commoner may rise to the acme of prosperity and acquire a kingdom. It is your pride which is hindering your acceptance of this truth and pride is a deadly virus. So, Sire, get rid of it. She folded her hands. The king could no longer contain his rage. He issued the following order to his men, Go and immediately bring forth a man who is the poorest, the meanest, the lowliest, and in wretched health. The princess kept sitting calmly. The kings men went out searching and found a wretchedly ill man lying in the town square. They brought him before the king. His ears were rotten, nose dull and flat, lips long and projected, and cheeks marked by depression. His body was all bones and no flesh with distinct marks of leprosy. The kings pride was now gratified. He turned to the princess and said, Well, my dear, in deference to your karmas, this man has been brought here. It is my order that you marry him. But Mairavati was a strict believer in the teachings of Jainism and she didnt waver in her beliefs. She slowly came down and courted the leper as her husband. The whole court was stunned and perturbed but the king did not relent. His pride 107

and vengeance were gratified. The princess was then deprived of her jewelry and rich robes and dressed in simple garments was turned out from the city.

The leper and the princess walked barefoot and decided to spend the night in a temple. The leper was a gentle and compassionate man. Addressing the princess, he said, Noble lady! What the king has done is unjust and wrong. You are bearing the consequences of his malicious pride. You are a lovely damsel of noble birth and I am only a poor leper. I am not fit for you. So, I regret my inability to accept you and gladly permit you to give me up. Forget about me and marry some suitable 108

young man. I have no doubt that wherever you go you will be an asset. The princess appealed, My dear husband, what are you saying? I am a devout Jain and it would be sinful of me to give you up once I have accepted you as my husband. Youth, beauty, wealth are transient and come and go, but purity is a rare acquisition. You may be rich or poor, ill or fit but you are my all in all. In future, please do not say what you have said just now. The leper was happy at this unusual reply but didnt react. Soon he was asleep. The princess was unable to sleep and sat down outside on a stone bench. Suddenly she saw an old lady coming toward her. A young man accompanied the old woman. The lady came to the princess and said, My daughter ! I am the deity of this city. I am deeply pained by your fathers behavior and I have come to help you.

She pointed towards the young man and said, This handsome and wealthy young man is meant for you. Give 109

up this leper and become his wife. You will be happy with him. I will help you. Mairavati remained steadfast. She said, Mother! I havent enough words to thank you for your concern. But I am duly married with this man with the consent of my father. I cannot think of giving him up? He may be a leper, but to me he is the king of kings and I cannot forsake him. I only beg and entreat that this man whom you have brought with you may be withdrawn and restored to his proper place. The deity took this refusal as an affront. She became furious and said threateningly, If you take my advice you will be happy otherwise, I shall kill you. Saying so she advanced towards Mairavati with her hand raised. The princess remained firm and closing her eyes began uttering the holy Namokar Mantra. And then a miracle happened. Everyone vanished. There was neither the deity nor the young man nor the leper. Instead, a divine person stood before her. He said to the princess, I am Manichud, a dev and the king of Manipur on the Vaitadhya hill. Once I heard Lord Mahavirs teaching that One should destroy the sense of self-importance which eats like a canker the bud of ones pure aspirations. I wanted to experience the truth of this and changed myself into a leper. Just then, the kings men picked me up. The rest you know. You didnt deviate from your resolve. You are truly praiseworthy and honorable. How lucky I am and how lucky is my city to have in you a wife and a queen, acquired so unexpectedly. At first the princess didnt know if it was a dream or reality. But she acknowledged this turn in her luck to be the outcome of karmas. 110

Then Manichud said to his wife, My dear, I want to teach your father a lesson in humility so that he crushes his pride forever. By dint of his divine power, Manichud raised a mighty army and laid siege to the city of his father-in-law. Then he sent a messenger to King Ripumardan telling him to dress like a peasant and submit to him, failing which his city would be attacked.

The king became affronted and was about to accept the challenge but his ministers and courtiers prevailed upon him 111

saying, Your Majesty! One should act with due caution when the adversary is your equal and in the present case, the adversary is far superior. Therefore, in the interests of the kingdom you should act as the messenger desires. The king saw the mighty army surrounding his city and his pride suffered a severe blow. Dressed as a peasant, he went to meet king Manichud. Manichud received him and immediately asked an attendant for a change of dress. The kings eyes fell on his daughter, who was seated on the throne. The king bent his head in shame. Mairavati said, Father, dont be remorseful. The leper to whom you gave me away turned out to be a dev. I hope now

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you will believe that all happiness and sadness is the play of ones karmas. The kings false pride was crushed. He was happy to see this turn in his daughters fortune. He vowed never to be vain and proud. Manichud said to the king, Sire, blessed are you that in your royal household has been born such a precious soul as your daughter. And equally blessed am I that such a pious soul is now in my life. After this, the Dev returned to his city on the Vaitadhya hill in the company of his wife. Always steadfast in purity, Mairavati spent the rest of her life devoted to spiritual practices. Maa concluded the story. Now you both watch television and after some time we will have lunch. Maa left them. After a hearty lunch the children had their afternoon nap. When they got up they went out to play and returned for their evening meal. They went excitedly for their dharma class. Jai Jinendra Bhaiya the children greeted Amit when he entered. Jai Jinendra bacchho he answered. After everyone had recited the Namokar mantra Amit addressed the class. I want to know something. Radhika, you tell me first. When you pray in the temple what do you say? Bhaiya, I recite the Namokar mantra nine times and then I ask Lord Mahavir to bless me Radhika answered. And Charu what do you say? 113

Bhaiya, I also recite the Namokar Mantra and then I ask Lord Parshvanath to protect me and take care of me Charu answered. Vidyamaan, what about you? Bhaiya, I ask Lord Mahavir to make me a good boy Vidyamaan said promptly. Not always! Bhaiya, once he had prayed for a brand new toy truck! Urja butted in. No I hadnt! Vidyamaan immediately rebutted. But then he remembered his vow of always telling the truth and admitted Actually bhaiya, once I had prayed for a toy truck. How do you know this Urja? Because Bhaiya, he had written a note to Lord Mahavir asking him to help him get a truck and had put it in the daan peti in the mandir. His note was recovered the next day and since he had signed it with his name we were told about it. Urja recounted smilingly. Everyone began laughing and Vidyamaan blushed. But after that I have never asked God for anything because dad told us that we should never ask God for anything Vidyamaan added. Your father is absolutely right. Our Tirthankars have attained moksh and have left this world forever so they cannot hear our requests or grant them. Our Tirthankars have been ordinary human beings like us and they have said that each one of us has the potential to become like them and attain salvation. 114

The basic difference between Jainism and other religions is that in our religion we are not supposed to ask our Tirthankars for anything. When we stand before them we should aspire to become like them and try to imbibe the qualities that they stand for Amit enunciated. Bhaiya, how can we become like our Tirthankars? Aanchal asked. Our Tirthankars have set down three principles which are also known as the three jewels of our religion. By following them we too can become like our Tirthankars Amit said. I know what they are Bhaiya! Maa told us this morning about them Urja said excitedly. Jiji wait, I will tell Bhaiya. I know them. Bhaiya they are Samyak Darshan and Samyak Gyan and Samyak Samyak. ummm Ive forgotten Vidyamaan said dejectedly.

Samyak Charitra Urja completed.

Excellent, children! You both are exemplary students. To attain moksh, we should follow the right faith, have the right knowledge and indulge in right conduct. Now enough of lectures, Ill tell you a story about Jindatt who followed the Jina path. In the city of Pottanpur, there lived a wealthy merchant named Jindatt and his wife Purna. Jinadatt was a great believer in doing charity and used to donate money and articles to the needy regularly. One day, an Acharya came to the city. Jindatt along with his fellow citizens came to listen to him and they all took a vow to fast every alternate day and to recite the Namokar Mantra one hundred and eight times daily. 115

Fortune and wealth are most fickle and come and go according to their whims and fancies. Misfortune struck Jindatt too and due to a sudden turn of events he suffered huge business losses and became so poor that he had trouble in making both ends meet. One day Purna suggested that Jinadatt should go to her parents and borrow some money from her father and start business afresh. Jindatt was hesitant about accepting such help and refused at first. But Purna was very insistent and begged and pleaded so much that with great reluctance he agreed to go. Purna gave him a packet of fried chickpea powder for his meal on the way.

Jindatt continued to observe his vows and kept fast every alternate day. The day he set out was a day of fasting so he didnt eat anything. On the second day, around noon, he sat down on the banks of a lake and washed himself. Then he 116

diluted some chickpea powder in a cup of water and sat down to eat. But before taking a bite a thought entered his mind. He thought At home, I always take my meal only after first giving a portion of it to some pious Muni. But what do I do now? From where will I get a Muni here? The power of his charitable thoughts and his shudh bhav was such that a Muni appeared on the horizon and began coming in his direction. The Muni was very lean and emaciated because he had been fasting for a month which had ended on that day. As was the custom, now the Muni had come to seek food. Jindatt bowed before him and humbly prayed that the Muni may partake a portion of his meal. The Muni accepted Jindatts prayer and ate his offering.

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On the fourth day, Jindatt reached his father-in-laws house. He was received with great honour and after a hearty meal, he apprised his father-in-law of the purpose of this unusual visit. But it is a sad irony of life that prosperity wins many friends and adversity leaves us with very few real friends. The father-in-law held a family meeting and all the members refused to extend any financial help. Jindatt was extremely disappointed by their negative reaction but bore the disappointment calmly and without saying anything turned his steps homeward. As he neared his home, he began feeling worried about his wifes reaction. He was sure that when she heard of her fathers refusal she would feel mortified and ashamed. So, to lessen her immediate shock and disappointment he filled a bag with pebbles from the banks of the river and placing the bag on his head, returned home. Purna was waiting eagerly for her husband and greeted him with smiling anticipation. Jindatt handed over the bag to her and went inside to freshen up and get ready. Purna opened the bag and almost fainted with surprise when she saw that it was full of precious stones and gems. She thought, How generous and considerate my father has been. He must have taken pity on our present situation and given all these. Then she kept the stones in a safe and took out one precious stone and went to a grocers shop to mortgage it and bring some provisions. She cooked various delicacies and served them on the table. Jindatt was taken aback to see such a feast being served. 118

Gently he said, My dear! We are already in heavy debt. Why did you borrow again to prepare so many delicacies for me? Purna smiled and said, Oh no, I didnt borrow anything. My father has given you so many precious stones and gems and I have sold only one of them to get the necessary provisions. The rest I have stored in safe keeping.

Jindatt was taken aback on hearing this because he knew his father-in-law had given him nothing. So, he rushed to the bedroom, and to his pleasant surprise saw that the pebbles he had collected and brought home had all turned into precious stones. He turned to his wife and said, My dear, the gems you see havent come from your fathers home. Your father and brothers refused to extend any help and I came away empty handed. But a gift of chickpea powder to a Muni has turned pebbles into precious stones. 119

Jindatt and Purna bowed their heads in silent gratitude to the Muni and thanked him from the bottom of their hearts. They then sold the stones in the market for a fortune and this enabled Jindatt to start business afresh. They became wealthy once again.

Bhaiya, can charity have such a miraculous effect? Om asked. Yes, my dear Om, there is great power in charity and selfless gifts. We all should make charity a part of our daily life. Misers who hoard money suffer a sad fate like Dhanasar. Do you want to hear about him? The children nodded eagerly. Amit smiled and said, Alright, Ill tell you about him. Word Meaning
Word Acquisition Adversary Meaning possession enemy

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Affront

Aspirations Canker Daan peti Deity Dejectedly Deprived Deviate Dissent Emaciated Enunciated Exemplary Fickle Flattery Forsake Hindering Inexorable Insubordination Largesse Malicious Miser Mortgage Pauper Potential Proficient Shudh bhav Transient Vied Violation

insult ambition evil, cancer charity box in temples god or goddess sadly without basic needs satisfied stray disagree abnormally thin and weak pronounce clearly best of the kind changeable false praise abandon get in the way impossible to prevent disobedience generosity deliberately harmful a person who hoards and spends little obtain a loan against some security very poor capability well versed pure feelings temporary competed break a rule, treat with disrespect

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Amit began his story, once upon a time many years ago, there lived a merchant named Dhanasar in Mathura. He was very rich and owned a vast fortune of 620 million gold coins. Although he was wealthy he was extremely miserly and hated giving as much as even a nickel. He used to hide all his wealth underground. He was renowned for his stinginess and people often criticized him but he didnt care. One day, Dhanasar went to take stock of the treasure kept underground but to his great shock, he found that all his gold had changed into charcoal and snakes were crawling through it. He couldnt believe such a thing could happen and while he was brooding over this loss, he received the news of the loss of one of his cargo ships in the sea. Before he could recover a third shocking news followed about a robbery in which his convoy of precious merchandise had been looted. All these setbacks made him feel wretched and he bewailed his ill-luck.

Dhanasar decided to try and recoup his losses and so he borrowed one million gold coins from a relative and went abroad to do business. But when the unfavourable effect of karmas is prevailing, whatever a person does inevitably goes against him or her. While returning from abroad with the wealth he had earned, the ship he was coming back in encountered a sea storm and the ship sank. All his wealth was lost and he barely managed to save himself by catching a floating log and swimming ashore. Dejected and depressed, he spent a day on the shore and then proceeded towards the city. On the way he saw a park where a Muni was sitting under the shade of a mango tree and delivering a sermon to the assembled people. Dhanasar

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also sat down to listen. The Muni was a very learned Muni who had manah-paryay-gyan. When the sermon was over, he came near the Muni, folded his hands in obeisance and said, Maharaj ! You said that our karmas are responsible for all our suffering and our happiness. Pray tell me by what karma did I acquire wealth and by which karma did I lose it all? The Muni said, All these things have happened because of your previous life karmas. Would you like me to tell you about them? Dhanasar nodded eagerly. In Dhatakikhand, there was a city named Ambika where two brothers lived. The elder brother was extremely generous and always helped the needy, but the younger brother was miserly and did not like seeing his elder brother

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being so charitable. He would lose his temper and fight with his elder brother. This continued for some time, until finally they both decided to separate and so they divided their property and wealth equally between themselves. The elder brother continued with his charitable ways and strangely his wealth instead of decreasing, in fact increased. The younger brother became jealous of his brothers growing prosperity and lodged a false complaint with the king and induced him to take custody of his brothers property and wealth. The elder brother was deeply wounded by his brothers behavior and he renounced the world. Soon he died but by virtue of his good deeds, he became a Dev in heaven. After his death the younger brother was severely criticized and denounced by the people and he became an outcast in society. So, he joined the order of some heretics and after his death was reborn as an Asurkumar in hell. Having completed his life there, he has been reborn as you. In your previous life, you condemned charity and deprived your brother of his rightful wealth. You are still a miser and so you are deprived now. It is the effect of you karmas which is making you suffer the muni finished his account. Maharaj what about my brother? Dhanasar asked trembling with emotion. Your elder brother after spending his life in Saudharmalok was born as a merchant in Tamralipti. He led a life of wealth and luxury and then gave it up to join the order of monks. He is the person now speaking to you the muni revealed. Dhanasar was amazed to hear this revealing account. He fell at the feet of his elder brother, the Muni and begged to be 125

forgiven. He took a vow not to indulge in sinful acts any longer and to donate three-fourths of his earnings retaining for personal use only a quarter of the total. This had an instantaneous effect. By the mercy of a Dev, all his wealth was recovered and his affluence restored.

Henceforth, Dhanasar became a devout Shravak who regularly spent his wealth on seven worthy items: Jain abodes, Jain idols, Jain literature, Jain Munis, Jain nuns, Jain Shravaks, and Jain Shravikas. He lived the rest of his life worthily Amit concluded the story. Bhaiya, from now on I will also do charity. But what should I do? Aditi asked. There are many things that you can do. For example, you can save some amount from your pocket money to help the 126

needy. How else can you help? Jaya can you tell me?Amit asked. Bhaiya, on our birthday we get many gifts. We can donate two or three gifts to a needy child Jaya answered. That is a very good idea! Next time you all must try to donate at least one gift on your birthday. Vidyamaan, you seem to be deep in thought. What are you thinking? Amit asked. Bhaiya, is it necessary to do charity only for human beings? Vidyamaan asked solemnly. No, my dear child you can help animals also. In fact because they are unable to speak it is very important to be kind to them. Bhaiya, then I have decided! I will make a shelter for the poor street dogs and their pups so that they have a home Vidyamaan said. Vidyamaan, you are very clever! This way we will be able to have many pets. Urja said admiringly. You want to keep a pet dog? Amit asked. Yes, Bhaiya we have been telling mom to allow us to keep a pet dog but she has been refusing. Now we will tell her that it is part of our charity plan. Urja said excitedly. I dont think I want to say anything to this. You kids are too smart. Amit said in a tone of resignation. Well, this is all for today. We will meet tomorrow. Jai Jinendra bacchho Amit finished. 127

The children left chattering like monkeys. Urja and Vidyamaan reached home with Maa. They found Nanaji waiting for them. Nanaji, I hope you had your dinner today Vidyamaan asked with concern. Yes, my dear dont worry, I reached home in time for dinner. Now tell me something. Would you like to go and visit Dronagarh temple tomorrow? Nanaji asked. How far is it from here? Vidyamaan asked It will take us two hours to reach there. It is a beautiful temple situated on a small hill. Yes, Nanaji lets go. I want to see it Urja said excited. She just wants to roam about all the time Vidyamaan said. And you just want to stay at home Urja retaliated. Peace, children peace! We will go early tomorrow so go to sleep now Nanaji ordered. Urja and Vidyamaan snuggled upto Maa for their bedtime story. What did you learn today, children she asked. Maa, we learnt that we should always do good deeds Urja answered. And Maa, we should do charity Vidyamaan said. Very good! It is very important to have lofty ideals and noble thoughts. Your noble thoughts will always show you the right way. Ill tell you the story of Mamman Sheth to illustrate the power of our thoughts. One day, Lord Mahavir sent his learned disciple Gautamswami to preach to a faithful follower Mamman 128

Sheth who was on his deathbed. While preaching to him Gautamswami felt that Mamman Sheth was a great soul. After preaching Gautamswami left and had barely gone a couple of metres when he learnt that Mamman had died. When he returned to Lord Mahavir, Gautamswami asked him, Lord, where has Mamman gone after death? Lord Mahavir replied, He has been born as a beindriya jiva in the forehead of his wife. Gautamswami was extremely astonished and said, But Lord he was a very devout shravak and had done good karmas. Then why did he get such a rebirth? Lord Mahavir replied, Mamman Sheth was a good shravak and while you were preaching he had good thoughts but after your departure his wife began lamenting and weeping loudly. She dashed her head against the wall and it began to bleed. Mamman Sheth was near death and he saw her tearstained face and thought of her future unhappiness. His attachment to his wife and thoughts of her sorrow were so strong at the time of death that his death was spoiled and he was reborn as a jiva in the wound on his wifes forehead. What is a beindriya jiva? Urja asked Beta, human beings are five sensed beings because they have the sense of touch, taste, sight, hearing and smell. Beindriya jiva is a jiva which has only two senses of touch and taste Maa explained. Maa, that is a very harsh punishment Urja exclaimed. Yes, my dear that is why we should always be careful of what we think and how we act because the effects are far reaching. 129

Now it is time to sleep. Tomorrow we have to get up early. Good night. The next day the children were woken up by Maa and they got ready eagerly. They sat in the car and reached Dronagarh in around two hours. They got down from the car and looked around in delight. Nanaji had been right. It was a beautiful place. They stood at the base of a hill and there was greenery everywhere. Slowly they began ascending the hill. They reached the top and at the entrance hung a huge bell which they all rang. They entered inside and stopped in wonder. The entire temple walls had been painted with beautiful drawings. Maa, what are these drawings? Urja asked in hushed tones. Beta, these drawings are illustrations of famous stories. Maa, who is this muni sitting under a tree? And there is a king standing and listening to him. Vidyamaan asked curiously. This is the story of Muni Keshikumar and King Pardeshi. Maa, tell us more about them Vidyamaan entreated. Muni Keshikumar was a learned Muni in Lord Parshvanaths ascetic order. He was immensely knowledgeable and possessed Avadhignan and Manahparyaya-gyan. His fame was widespread and large audiences attended his sermons. One day, among his audience was present Chitra, the trusted chariot driver of the king of Shvetambik. The discourses of Acharya Keshikumar were so inspiring that numerous people were initiated into the religion. Chitra 130

also initiated himself into the twelve vows of a Jain householder and became a Shravak. When it was time to leave, he requested the Acharya, Oh, Lord, our city Shvetambik is very pleasant, charming and beautiful. Please pay us a visit and give us the opportunity to serve you. The Acharya replied, Chitra, just as it is not safe to stay in a forest haunted by fierce animals, similarly it is not advisable to visit a city governed by a cruel monarch. Chitra said, Maharaj, do not be concerned about king Pardeshi. The people of the city will be deeply obliged and will pay their homage and serve you if you grant them an opportunity. Your visit shall be a great obligation. Please do not refuse my entreaty. Chitras persistency and sincerity touched the Acharya and he replied, As the circumstances shall permit. Chitra left satisfied that the Acharya would someday certainly visit Shvetambik. When he reached Shvetambik he called the guards of the outside parks and said, Acharya Keshikumar is likely to arrive here. When he arrives, you must pay homage, bow down to him and offer him a place and make him comfortable. Thereafter, immediately inform me about his arrival. After a few months, the guards came to Chitra and informed him that Acharya Keshikumar had arrived in the park along with a group of his disciples. Chitra was overjoyed at the news and he gave a handsome reward to the guard. Then he rushed to pay his respects to the Acharya. 131

The Acharyas sermons had a positive effect on the people and they came in huge numbers to listen to him. One day after he finished his sermon Chitra addressed the Acharya and said, O blessed one, our king Pardeshi is not at all religious and doesnt rule the kingdom properly. The people of this city would be extremely obliged if you preach to him and transform him. The Acharya replied, Chitra, I can preach religion to your king Pardeshi provided he comes here. Chitra replied eagerly, Acharya, I shall bring him here by whatever means I can. The next day Chitra approached the king and said, Your majesty, a horse trader has come to our town and he has a collection of magnificent horses. I request you to kindly inspect them. The king said, Alright! Bring the best four horses and tie them to the chariot and we will go for a ride. Chitra procured fine horses from a trader and tied them to the chariot. Then Chitra and King Pardeshi set out in the chariot. Chitra drove the chariot out of the city and went quite far. Soon, the king became tired and thirsty and said, Chitra, now turn back the chariot. Chitra turned back and halted near the park where Muni Keshikumar was staying. He said, Your majesty, this is Mrigavan park. We shall rest here for a while. The horses can also rest and roam about a bit. The king consented and Chitra began tending to the horses. The king descended from the chariot and after patting the 132

horses stretched and went for a stroll. Suddenly, he came across Muni Keshikumar seated under a tree and preaching to the townspeople. The glow and vitality on Muni Keshikumars face struck the king and he wondered who the Muni was. He asked, Chitra, what is all this going on? Who is that fool preaching to these stupid people? Cant we relax in the garden? I want to rest in peace and this fellow is giving me a headache. Chitra said, Your majesty this is Muni Keshikumar, a very learned and esteemed Jain muni. He possesses Avadhigyan and has immense knowledge. The king said, What do you say? This fellow possesses Avadhigyan? Chitra said, Yes, your majesty. The king said, I will test him! Chitra said, Certainly, your majesty. The king and Chitra approached Muni Keshikumar. The king asked, O Muni, do you possess Avadhigyan? The Acharya replied, O king when you saw me you thought, Who is this fool who is preaching to the people and not allowing me to rest in peace? The king said, This is true. But how could you know this? What knowledge do you possess which enables you to read my thoughts? The muni replied, O king, our scriptures have laid down five types of knowledge: Mati, Shruti, Avadhi, Manah133

paryav and Keval. The first four are familiar to me and so I can read what goes on in your mind.
The king asked, O Muni, can I sit here ? The Muni said, It is up to you. The King and Chitra sat near the Muni. The king asked him, O Muni, you believe that body and soul are separate and distinct. Is it true? Muni Keshikumar replied, Yes, it is true. The king said, I believe that the soul and the body are not distinct but are identical and the same. Do you want to know how I arrived at such a conclusion? When my grandfather was the king he committed many crimes and led a life of sin. So, according to our scriptures he must have gone to hell. I was his beloved grandson and he doted on me. If as you say body and soul are distinct then his soul would have come to this world and warned me, Child, do not commit any sin otherwise you will go to hell. But he has never turned up to warn me. So, I believe body and soul are not distinct. The Muni said, O king supposing someone murders your wife queen Suryakanta. How will you punish him? The king said, I will have his hands and legs chopped and have him hung. The Muni said, O king, what will you do, if the murderer requests you to wait so that he can go and warn his relatives not to indulge in any crime or wrongdoing? The king said, The fellow will be hanged for his offence without any hesitation or delay. 134

The Muni replied, O king, your grandfather is also in the same situation. So, how can he come and warn you? He cannot come back to the human world because he is not free to leave hell. The king said, I have another argument to support my conviction that there is no independent entity as soul. My grandmother was very religious minded and highly devoted to the Jain Munis. She used to practice penance and restraint of the senses. Since she committed no wrongs she must have gone to heaven when she died. I was her only grandchild and she used to love me a lot. If her soul had survived then she would have come from heaven and told me, Dear grandson, practice religion as I did and you shall gain heavenly happiness. But she has not turned up to tell me anything of the sort and so I do not believe that body and soul are distinct. The Muni replied, Answer a question of mine. Supposing you have bathed and are about to leave for the temple. You are dressed in clean clothes and are proceeding towards the temple. While going you cross a toilet and a voice call out to you. Would you go inside? The king responded: Why would I attend to the voice at all? The lavatory is a filthy place so why would I go there? The muni said, Similarly, your grandmother who has been elevated as an angel in heaven would not come and tell you about her happiness because for them the human world is a dirty and filthy place and the world that she is in is a fragrant and clean place. The king said, I still dont agree that the body and soul are distinct. I have evidence to prove this. Once upon a time a murderer was brought to me. As punishment I had him put 135

inside an iron box, the lid of which was tightly closed and the gap was welded. After three days when that box was opened the man was found dead. If as you say, body and soul are distinct then how did the soul escape from the box? The box had not even a tiny hole from which the soul could have escaped. Therefore, I contend that body and soul are one and when body stops its activity the soul also stops all its activity. The muni replied, O king, supposing there is a big room with a circular dome with all its doors closed fast with no air penetrating through. A man enters the room with a bell and a hammer and hammers the bell. Would the sound be heard outside? The king said, Yes, it would be heard. The muni said, But there is no hole in the room. The king agreed, Yes, there is no hole. The muni said, O king, just as the sound can escape from a room without a hole, the soul can also escape from a box without a hole. The king said, Once I weighed a thief before he was hung and then I weighed him after he was dead. There was no difference in his weight. If as you say body and soul are distinct entities, there should have been at least some change in weight but there was no change and therefore, I rest my contention that body and soul are one and the same. The muni asked: O king, is there any difference in the weight of an empty bag and a bag filled with air? The king replied, No, there is no difference. 136

The muni asked, There is no difference in the weight of an empty bag and that of an air-filled bag but that does not mean that the bag does not contain air. Just as air has no weight but is distinct from the bag and present in the bag similarly the soul has no weight but is distinct and is present in the body. The king said, Maharaj, for generations our family members have been non-believers. How can I disown these atheistic beliefs? The muni responded, O king, I will tell you a story about an obstinate fellow who refused to give up a load of iron bars and how he repented later. A group of miners went deep into the forest where they found an iron mine. All of them collected iron in heaps, loaded them on donkeys and set out. As they proceeded further they found a lead mine. Since lead is more valuable than iron, all of them unloaded the iron and loaded heaps of lead to carry along. But one man did not unload the iron bundle. His companions tried hard to persuade him but he didnt budge. He said, I have carried this bundle for a long distance now. It is well tied up, and I do not want to put in the extra effort of unloading it and loading something else. The group then proceeded further and found mines of copper, silver and gold one after the other. Each time, they unloaded the less valuable thing and picked up the more valuable thing. But the obstinate man refused to give up his load of iron and proceeded on alone. Finally, they reached a city where they sold their load and earned a lot of wealth. The obstinate fellow sold his heap of iron and earned very little money. He realized his foolishness and thought, If only I hadnt been foolishly obstinate to retain worthless load 137

and had gone after the more precious stuff, I too could have earned ample wealth like my companions. The muni addressed the king, O king, dont be obstinate. Let go of your incorrect and worthless beliefs if you dont want to repent like the man who carried the iron bars. The logic and strength of the muni Keshikumars words convinced king Pardeshi and he decided to turn to religion. He undertook the observance of twelve vows and became spiritual and worthy. Maa concluded the story. Maa, in the last drawing he is shown seated on a cloud with his hand raised. Why is he shown like this? Vidyamaan asked. He is shown like this because after his death he became a dev named Suryabha. Maa explained. Word Meaning
Word Atheistic Brooding Contend Elevated Entreaty Esteemed Heretics Initiated Manah-paryay-gyan Procured Resignation Stinginess Meaning lack of belief in religion thinking unpleasant thoughts assert raised request respected those who go against religion admitted power of knowing the thoughts in another persons mind obtained acceptance of the inevitable meanness

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They moved on to the next wall which showed a young princess standing before an angry king. The next drawing in the series showed her being married to a sickly looking man. The next drawing showed them both seated on the floor with folded hands and praying. The last drawing showed them seated on the royal throne with the devs showering petals on them and the people celebrating. Maa who is this princess? Urja asked. She is princess Maynasundari and this is her husband Shripal. Theirs is a very interesting story. The king and queen of Champanagar had a son named Shripal. The king died when Shripal was five years old. His brother seized the throne and decided to get rid of Shripal in order to safeguard himself. But the queen fled from Champanagar along with her son. But she was being pursued by the new kings soldiers and in order to save her son she gave him up to a group of travelling gypsies. The gypsies however suffered from a disease called leucoderma in which the skin of the body turns patchy and white. The leader warned the queen that her son could contract the disease. But the desperate queen entrusted her son to them with a heavy heart. Shripal too contracted leucoderma. But he grew up to be bold and charismatic and was made the leader and named Umar Rana. The group continued to travel from place to place and happened to arrive at Ujjayini, the capital of Malwa.

The ruler was King Prajapal and his queen was Rupsundari. They had two daughters named Sursundari and Maynasundari. They were very beautiful, smart and intelligent. The king loved both of them and they had been well educated and fully trained in all the arts. Once the king decided to test their knowledge and called them in the assembly. First he asked a number of questions to Sursundari who answered them well. The king then asked, Now tell me who is responsible for all the comforts, amenities and luxuries that you enjoy? Sursundari humbly replied, Your majesty, whatever luxuries and comforts I am enjoying are because of your benevolence. The king felt proud and said, You are absolutely right. I am extremely pleased with your answer. 140

Then it was Maynasundaris turn. She too gave satisfactory replies to the kings questions. Then the king put the same question to her that he had put to Sursundari. He expected that Mayna too would give a similar answer and please him. However, Mayna had studied the doctrines of her religion at length. She was familiar with the doctrines of karma and paap and punya. Therefore, her reply was very different.

She said, With due respect, your majesty I want to state that you have been an extremely benevolent and generous 141

father. But the affluence and luxuries that I am enjoying are the result of my previous karmas. I must have earned good karmas in the past which have resulted in my happy situation. If I had bad karmas, no one on this earth could bestow happiness on me. The kings pride was hurt at this unexpected reply. He said, What nonsense are you saying? If it wasnt for me you wouldnt have enjoyed all these luxuries. Mayna said, Dear father, I love you very much but our religion also states that ones situation is a result of ones karmas and no one else can make any difference. The king became furious at her persistence and said, So you deny that your comfortable, happy situation is a result of my benevolence! I will teach you a lesson. He asked his men to bring forth the poorest and sickest man in Ujjayini. The soldiers spotted Umar Rana and brought him to the court. The king married off Mayna to Umar and provided them with just the basic necessities and set them up in a small house taunting Mayna to undergo the fruits of her karmas. Mayna remained unperturbed and accepted the developments as the result of her karmas. She took all possible care of Shripal and turned him towards religion. They would both go to temples and listen to the sermons of learned Munis. One day she happened to visit Acharya Munichandra who was a renowned scholar. When the Acharya saw Shripals disease he advised Mayna to perform the Navpad pooja which can cure all types of diseases. Mayna and Shripal devoutly performed Navapada worship and observed all its rigorous and strict rules. 142

The result was miraculous. Shripals disease started fading and in due course, he regained the original skin that he had and became strikingly handsome. Mayna was very happy and blessed her Karma for the miraculous change. Since the miracle had been wrought by their devotion to Navapada, Mayna and Shripal continued to observe it religiously. The king too came to know of the miracle and he accepted the truth of Maynas words. He invited Mayna and Shripal to live with him in his palace. But Shripal wanted to regain his lost kingdom so he set out and traveled far and wide and acquired wealth and a huge army. Finally, he reached Champanagar and sent a message to his uncle to give up the 143

throne he had wrongly seized. His uncle refused so Shripal invaded Champanagar with his vast army. His uncle was captured and Champanagar was won by Shripal. However, he released his uncle from captivity. Thereafter, Shripal and Mayna spent the rest of their lives happily as the king and queen of Champanagar. Maa concluded. Maynasundari was very brave to defy her own father Urja said in admiration. Yes, she was ready to forgo her luxurious and comfortable life for her beliefs. Faith in our religious beliefs gives us immense strength Maa explained. The next wall had a huge painting depicting a man who was hanging from the branch of a tree with his mouth open to

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catch drops of honey which were falling from a beehive hanging on the branch over him. Below him was a well which had an alligator and snakes and there were also two rats who were chewing the branch that he was hanging from. Maa what does this painting depict? Urja asked. Beta, this is a very famous painting and we can see it in various Jain temples. This drawing is titled Madhubindu and it depicts a human beings lust for the pleasures of life. What does lust for the pleasures of life mean? Vidyamaan gave a confused look. Beta, it means greed for the good things or the luxuries of life. Most of us just want to eat, drink, enjoy and make merry in life and we dont bother about anything else Maa said. But Maa, is it wrong to enjoy life? Urja asked. No, beta it is not wrong to enjoy life but we should not make this enjoyment the main purpose of life. The story of Madhubindu shows us what happens when we do that. Maa proceeded to tell the story. The man shown here is a traveler named Madhubindu who was passing a strange town. He was accosted by four thugs and Madhubindu ran into the forest. He lost the robbers but in the forest, an elephant started to chase him. He was soon exhausted and couldnt run any more. So, he climbed a tree to avoid being crushed by the powerful elephant. But he slipped down the tree and only managed to grab a branch of the tree. Right below the branch that he had grabbed was a deep well which had an alligator and four snakes. The branch that he hung from also had two rats, 145

one black and one white who were chewing the branch. He looked up and found that drops of honey drops were falling from a beehive above him. He was in a major predicament. The elephant was shaking the tree violently as a result of which drops of honey were falling and he put out his tongue to catch the drops. The sweetness of the honey made him forget the bees which were stinging him and the dangerous animals around him. Just then, he was seen by a dev couple who were flying in the sky. The female dev felt sorry for Madhubindu and asked her husband to rescue him from his troubles. The dev offered his hand but Madhubindu asked him to wait until he tasted the next drop of honey. So, they waited. After the next drop the dev asked again but Madhubindu asked him to wait for a few seconds more. This continued till the devs got tired of waiting and left him to his fate. A few minutes later, Madhubindu fell to his inevitable death Maa recounted. How stupid of Madhubindu! Why didnt he accept the devs help? Didnt he know he would die? Urja asked. Beta, this story is symbolic of the plight of all human beings. What does this mean? Vidyamaan asked. Ill explain. Madhubindu represents us humans and the elephant is death who threatens all of us. The well and the snakes and alligator represent the four passions of anger, pride, greed and hypocrisy. The branch which is being cut by the two rats represents the life-span of a living being, which is continuously being reduced as time passes while the bees represent daily problems. The honey stands for momentary sensual pleasures which this world offers. 146

Just like Madhubindu, most of us are so deeply immersed in the pleasures and enjoyment of the world that we forget that these pleasures are momentary and cannot give us real happiness and peace. The devs represent religion, which can rescue us from the perils of this world and can help us achieve real happiness and salvation. Madhubindu would have been saved if only he had listened to the dev. Our salvation too lies in religion. Maa finished her explanation. They proceeded further and paid their obeisance and sat down for puja. After they finished they started on the way back. They had to take a different path and they passed several statues of the tirthankars while they were walking. They offered samagri before each statue. Suddenly, they came across a statue which had creepers twined around its legs. Maa, who is this tirthankar? Why are there creepers around his legs? Urja asked. Maybe he was captured by some enemy who fought with him and tied him up in plants Vidyamaan hazarded a guess. Please Vidyamaan, do you have to always think of enemies and battles? Urja said exasperatedly. Maa and nanaji were amused at Vidyamaans interpretation and smiled. Then Maa said, This is the statue of Bhagwan Bahubali who was the younger son of Lord Adinath. Lord Adinath had a hundred sons of whom Bharat was the eldest, followed by Bahubali and then ninety eight other sons. When Lord Adinath renounced, he divided his vast kingdom between all his sons. 147

Bharat was an ambitious ruler and wanted to become emperor of the entire country so he began his journey of conquest. He easily conquered all the regions and then asked his younger brothers to acknowledge his superiority. His ninety eight brothers realized the futility of fighting with their elder brother and so they surrendered their territories to him, renounced worldly life and became disciples of Lord Rishabhadev.

Only Bhubali would not surrender. He was very strong and had the will and capacity to fight. Therefore, he refused Bharats request to accept a subordinate status and began preparations to fight. Both brothers had huge armies and war between them was sure to result in large-scale bloodshed. Soon the armies stood face to face on the battlefield. 148

The ministers on both sides decided to take steps to avert unnecessary bloodshed. They requested the two kings to avoid a full scale war and instead to engage in a one to one duel. There would be three rounds and the victor of the duel would be the acknowledged leader. Bharat and Bhubali both agreed. The day of the duel arrived. The first round was to be Dhristiyudh in which each

had to continuously stare at the other. Whoever would blink first would be the loser. Bahubali was taller than Bharat and he had to look down at Bharat. Bharat had to crane his neck and look up at Bahubali and it was tougher. It was easier for Bahubali and eventually Bharat lost. The next round was 149

Jalyudh in which they both had to continuously splash each other with water. In this round too Bahubali won because he was physically stronger and fitter than Bharat. The last round was Malyudh in which they had to wrestle with each other. Bahubali was again the winner because of his strength.
Defeat made Bharat livid and desperate. Ignoring the rules of the duel he unleashed his most powerful weapon, the

Chakraratna, at Bhubali. It was a circular wheel which had the power to cut off the head of the opponent but the one 150

important quality of the weapon was that it wouldnt harm the blood relatives of the one who unleashed it. Therefore, Bhubali remained unharmed. Bhubali became enraged by Bharats violation of the rules of the duel and raised his hand to smash his elder brother. But just then a thought flashed in his mind. What am I doing? Have I gone mad? Am I going to kill my elder brother for the sake of some worldly poss-essions that my revered father willingly aban-doned and which my other brothers have given up? That very moment he changed his mind and instead of using his fist to smash his brother, he used it to pull out his hair in a sign of renunciation of worldly life. But Bhubali had not lost his pride and ego. Joining his fathers order meant being subservient to his 98 younger brothers who were senior to him in monkhood. This was unacceptable to him. So, he decided to seek enlightenment on his own and began meditating on the very spot that he stood. He became totally immersed in his meditation and a year passed with Bahubali standing in the same spot. Creepers began to grow around his feet but he did not gain enlightenment. Lord Adinath sent Brhmi and Sundari to see him. They came to where Bahubali was standing like a statue and gently told him, You cannot get enlightenment while sitting on an elephant. Get off the elephant. When their familiar voices reached Bhubalis ears, he opened his eyes in amazement and looked around but did not find himself on an elephant. He then realized that the elephant they were referring to was his ego and his pride. He immediately dissolved his ego and decided to go to Lord 151

Adinath and bow down to his ninety eight brothers. Just as he took the first step to go, he achieved full enlightenment and became omniscient. Maa finished. Children you must always remember it is our ego and our superficial pride which causes anger and leads one to wrong and destructive behavior. This, in turn, builds negative karma and impedes our spiritual progress. Therefore, we should dissolve our ego and cultivate humility Nanaji added. What about Bharat? What happened to him? Vidyamaan asked.

He had a long and happy reign and then he too renounced all worldly pleasures and became a monk and eventually attained enlightenment Maa said. 152

By now they had reached the place from where they had started. After having breakfast in the Bhojnalaya they started back for home. Maa, I wish we werent going back today Urja said wistfully. Yes beta, even I dont want to let you both go maa replied. Maa, why dont you talk to mom and ask her to let us stay on for some more days? Vidyamaan asked. Yes, call Veena and tell her that we will send the children next week. Let them stay here and enjoy Nanaji ordered Maa. But they will miss school. And your mom has specially asked me not to let you miss school. Remember last time also we had made you stay back and you missed your unit tests and your overall grade was affected Maa said gently. But mom says marks are not important. Knowledge is more important and we are gaining so much more knowledge here Urja grinned. Yes, jiji now mom wont be able to refuse. Maa, you call her and tell her that attending dharma school and we are learning so many new things Vidyamaan added excitedly. Maa and Nanaji looked at each other in amusement as the children offered their enthusiastic excuses. Finally, Nanaji said, It is decided. Call Veena and tell her that we will send them next week. Maa smiled and dialled their mothers number. Hello, Veena? Jai Jinendra. How are you? Yes, we are fine. We all are enjoying ourselves. No, No, they dont fight much 153

just a little bit sometimes. I wanted to ask you something. Can they miss school for some days? We will send them next week. It is only a matter of five days Maa said on the phone. The next moment she smiled and said, They are attending Dharam school here. And Urja is saying that you will agree to them staying on since you say that knowledge is more important than marks. Oh, yes they have grown very smart and know how to get their way. Alright then Ill give them the good news and Ill get their tickets done for next week. Take care. We will talk to you later Maa rung off. Baccho, your mother is as smart as you! She knew you would want to stay on and so she didnt get your return tickets done. So, now you both are staying on for a week Maa related happily. Wow ! Great ! the children whooped in excitement. They began chattering excitedly about what all they were going to do. Hush, now go off to sleep. We have another two hours

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