Mahanayak Kharvel Ep. 9

episode 9

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Even there, without neglecting Pataliputra, I could not find relief. Amidst all this, I received another piece of news: my father, Kunal, had decided to spend the latter part of his life in spiritual practice and was preparing to leave for Takshashila on the western coast. There, at the Srikalpa (Sirkap) site, he constructed a stupa-like Jina temple and settled there permanently with my mother, Sharatasri. Detached from political affairs, he spent the remaining years of his life devoted to spiritual practice, much like my grandfather, Emperor Ashoka. The great Maurya kings Chandragupta and Bindusara also immersed themselves in religion towards the end of their lives.

"Today, I feel that my final stage has arrived. The arrow of Brihadratha and the dagger of Kalinga have pierced my heart. My dormant soul has awakened from its slumber and become vigilant. I am angry with myself. I have wasted many years in carelessness. Now, I can no longer afford carelessness. I must now renounce worldly duties and dedicate myself to spiritual practice, Guruji!"

"This is the great blessing of Arya Balissahji that he looked after me directly from Kalinga. Who is he? I do not know. But to me, he is no less than a parent. He has given me a second life."

"Now, if I, Emperor Samprati, do not choose the path of religion, this new life I have been granted will be utterly futile. Therefore, I am now going to announce my renunciation, just as my ancestors did, and I will spend the rest of my life in a religious place. After opening up my entire life before you, I now ask you, is my decision correct?"

Maharaja Samprati's long narrative concluded. After that, Arya Suhastisuriji began to speak.

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"It is a tranquil solitude. The garden of Pataliputra is delightful. Here, a seeker’s spiritual practice and self-study can proceed without interruption," Arya Suhastisuriji began.

"Samprati! My son! I will not oppose your decision. I feel that the very same disciplined life that brought you to the emperor's throne after just one day of superficial spiritual practice, is the life you should now live, as an ascetic. It is also fitting."

"After a certain age, a seeker should withdraw more and dwell within, becoming still. What is there to do after attaining liberation? What worries are there? What responsibilities? So why not strive to live similarly here? Active efforts are religious efforts, and efforts in withdrawal are the efforts for liberation. That’s why they are different."

"I will not stop you from advancing on the path of spiritual practice. I will endorse it. However, you are an emperor, the father of the entire population of Bharat. In your heart, you have the welfare of your entire populace, whether they are Malavi, Magadhi, Gurjari, Tamil, Dravidian, Kalingi, Southern, or Northern. You have consistently ensured their well-being. You have become their religious father. The work you have done to spread the eternal Nirgrantha principles among the entire Arya population is something that perhaps even the greatest emperors have not accomplished."

"The workings of nature and karma are beyond comprehension. A capable ruler like you has no children. In such circumstances, I feel that you should appoint a good successor and stay with him for a few years, keeping a close watch and ensuring his safety. If you retire prematurely, it might later happen that your successor blames you for abandoning him."

"It could be that time passes by. This is the world, and many tasks will keep coming. Perhaps you will not find rest in them, and you might not be able to retire. But, Maharaja, it is certain that the selfless propagation of the religious order that you have carried out will never be in vain. You will attain an even greater rise in your next life, for even a small righteous act performed with pure intention and great respect yields unimaginable results. And you have accomplished such a great task, Maharaja! Even when King Shrenik himself, having found the Tirthankar Lord Mahavira, could not achieve this, you have succeeded. Maharaja, keep endorsing this as much as you can."

"Forget everything else. Everyone has to endure the hardships of life. Whether it is Samprati or Suhasti. Who is completely happy in this world? If we make the right decisions and engage in appropriate actions in the time given to us, life is successful."

"So, my son! First, go to Ujjain, appoint a suitable successor, and stay with him for some time to discipline him. After that, do what seems right because the result of an unexpressed resolve is wealth and power, while the result of an expressed resolve is liberation. In a previous life, you adhered to an unexpressed resolve without special understanding and achieved this grandeur as a result. But in this life, you have worshiped the Arihant with great devotion. You have practiced spiritual worship of the monks. You have honored fellow believers. This great endeavor is no less than a difficult penance. It will certainly bring you closer to the abode of liberation,Moksha which is the residence of all welfare."

"Therefore, do not harbor any regrets in your mind. Once, the center of the Magadh kingdom was Rajgriha. Today, Rajgriha is considered an ordinary city. When time changes, everything changes, Samprati! Similarly, the center of this vast empire of Bharat will also change. Until now, it was Pataliputra; in the future, it will be Avanti and Ujjain. Your descendants will be known as 'Malavapati.' All other states will remain as small towns. Then, Ujjain will receive the honour of being the capital of Bharat instead of Pataliputra."

"Such change will continue perpetually, my son! So do not harbor any regrets for Pataliputra. When destiny changes, man must change too. Those who do not change must face punishment, my son."

"Pataliputra is now going to become a mere tale, my son! The place where great virtuous souls are born and live becomes great. Pataliputra no longer has any great virtuous souls. And in Avanti, virtuous souls will be born one after another. Now Ujjain has taken the place of Pataliputra. The place is not great; the person is great, my son!"

"Remember your spiritual practice. Since you embraced religion, you have performed the Trikaal Jinpuja, always served your fellow believers with utmost respect, and consistently practiced charity and righteousness."

"Once a year, when the chariot procession of Avanti takes place under our guidance, you are always present with your family. On the last day, when the grand chariot procession is held, the chariot of Jin Bhagwant is driven by devoted laymen in place of horses. Just by witnessing this scene, your feudal kings, the kings who come from far-off lands in the South, North, West, and East, become spellbound.

You appeal to them with a true heart, and they become devotees of Jainism. They begin the tradition of holding chariot processions in their own kingdoms."

"The number of religious achievements accomplished by your hands is immense, Samprati! One and a quarter crore Jinbimbas, one and a quarter lakh Jin temples, the restoration of 36,000 ancient pilgrimage sites, and around seven hundred charitable institutions..."

"In your kingdom, someone may wake up hungry, but no one goes to bed hungry. You are always committed to alleviating the suffering of the poor, Emperor."

"There comes a time when monks cannot find pure suitable food anywhere. At such times, your charitable institutions become their refuge because you have instructed your cooks that whatever food remains after feeding the travelers should be used to fill the monks' alms bowls, and for this, you pay the cooks sufficient wages. Your cooks also provide food to the monks with great devotion."

"Samprati! Providing food to monks brings about a unique accumulation of merit. The respect given to Jainism is a cause for the highest merit, and because of your influence, the entire Aryavarta is accumulating supreme merit.In this way, you are saving yourself and also becoming the one who helps millions of others attain salvation.

 Emperor! You are accumulating merit yourself and also helping millions accumulate merit. You are practicing religion yourself and also bringing billions into the fold of religion, Emperor."Suddenly, Arya Suhastisuri stands up.

"Today, the great propagator of Jainism, such as yourself, is being saluted by an Acharya, a visionary of the influence of Jainism. This is the bow of a Guru to a disciple who has completely earned it."

"Please do not do this, Guruji! I am but the dust of your feet. I am merely that beggar whom you have uplifted with boundless compassion. Whatever I am, it is all because of your grace. It is because of your grace that I received the kingdom and the wisdom to use it rightly. I am your humble servant, Guruvar!" Saying this, Samprati bows down like a small child at Guruji's feet and holds onto them tightly as if he never wants to let go.

"Be at ease, my son! Today, I have something important to tell you and my successor monks."

To Be Continued...