SAMRADITYA SAGA Part 2 - TANGLES OF HATRED

Elephant trapped by a parrot

Shri Amarguptsuriji continued the story of his incarnations.
He said, “King, the nature of auspicious and inauspicious deeds is not understood by the ignorant men. Being a victim of dynamic lifestyle, they live under the control of the desires of the mind. It is not possible for him to live life by examining it in the mirror of wisdom or light of knowledge! He does not get the right understanding of the principles of karma.
In heaven, I enjoyed divine pleasures for innumerable years. Ultimately, the life span of that incarnation was also over. And my (Soma’s) soul took birth again in this area of this western Mahavideh.
I got the incarnation of an animal. I might have had such feelings at some point of time as a result of which I got this life. Divine pleasures of heaven on one hand and incarnation of an elephant on the other! To and from where karmas picked and landed me!
But even in the life of an elephant, I had received good intellect. In the vast forest named Susamar, there was a mountain named Susamar where I used to roam freely and enjoy with 500 female elephants. There was tall grass all around that mountain. A deep and wide river flowed through the middle. The forest was very dense with  innumerable trees. I was like the king of that forest and the 500 female elephants were my beloved ones.
Even animals have their own world.
Anger, hatred, lies and fraud are prevalent there too. Impulses of desires arise there as well. Along with various flaws, animals and birds also have some good qualities. But whatever happens, it is inspired by their own karmas.
Just like I had descended from heaven into animal life; similarly the soul of Rudradev completed its life in hell and was born as a parrot in the same Susamar Forest. When he grew up, he started flying with other mynas in the groves of trees of the same forest.
Parrots are considered to be wise. They have emotions and negative feelings too. They also know how to be deceiving.
One day, when I was enjoying with my 500 dear ones, that parrot arrived at the mountain flying with his myna. Sitting on the branch of a tree, he gazed here and there. He saw our group. I was the tallest in our group. He started looking at me and kept gazing. Although he hadn’t recollected memories of the past life,  some unspoken feelings had awakened.
In the life of Rudradev, he had filled his soul with immense anger towards me, hadn’t he? As soon as he got a nimitt, that anger started boiling out. I had become the cause.
Firstly, jealousy of my pleasures arose in his heart. He felt hurt seeing me playfully enjoy with 500 elephants. Seeing the immense love of the elephants on me, he started burning with envy. Negative thoughts began to arise in his mind, "I cannot see the happiness of this elephant. I shall kill him by any means."
He was not in a position to kill me directly. Well, he was afraid of me too. That’s why, he used to hesitate in sitting on the tree nearby. Sitting on the high branch of a distant tree, he would watch our fun games. He used to come to the mountain everyday. Seeing my happiness, his soul would torment. He would go insane with anger.
That parrot had forgotten his myna. The jealousy burning in his heart deprived him of the pleasures he had received. This is the pathetic condition of a being overruled by jealousy.
Day and night, that parrot was just immersed in one thought, how to kill me? How to take away the pleasures I had received? He believed that he would get peace only after my enjoyments were snatched away from me.
However, it is not in anyone’s hands to kill or revive anyone. Every being lives and dies as a result of its own karmas. Other beings may become external factors for it. One might get the excuse of someone else, that’s different.
***
There is also an interesting description about where and how my death took place.
On the Vaitadhya Mountain, there is a city of Vidyadhars. They are humans who have special mantra powers. With the help of this, they can travel through the sky, create any form they want and get anything done according to their wish. Other than this, they have qualities and flaws just like we do.
A Vidyadhar named Lilarati kidnapped Chandralekha, the sister of Mriganksen Vidyadhar. However, Mriganksen was more powerful than Lilarati. But where does attachment or sensual desire allow the thought of power? Chandralekha also loved Lilarati. They had a mutual bond. But her brother Mrigankasen did not want Chandralekha to marry Lilarati. So, Lilarati kidnapped Chandralekha. Then both of them ran away in fear. As soon as Mriganksen came to know about this, he hurriedly followed both of them.
Lilarati and Chandralekha saw this forest region of western Mahavideh. They saw the tall mountain and also the deep valleys. They saw caves spread far and wide in the valleys. Finding a suitable place to hide, they landed on that mountain. The parrot was sitting with its myna on the branch of a dense tree located on the edge of a huge mountain.
The Vidyadhar had knowledge of the language of birds.
He asked the parrot in its language, "I am hiding with my wife in the cave of these valleys. A Vidyadhar King is coming behind us to catch us from the sky. If he asks you, then pretend as if you don’t know anything. After he goes away, you come to me and give me the news in a signal. If you do me such a favor, then I will repay your favour very well.
The parrot agreed. Vidyadhar Lilarati along with Chandralekha hid in the cave of that valley. The parrot saw that cave.
In sometime, Vidyadhar Mrigankasen came there wailing in anger. He looked around but could not see Lilarati or Chandralekha. He didn’t ask anything to the parrot. He stood there, thought for a while and went back. When Mriganksen was thinking something, the parrot was also thinking. Perhaps, the parrot thought so smartly that could even defeat the human’s intellect. He found a way to kill me.
I had reached near that tree with my chief elephant. The parrot and myna used to come there everyday, so I knew them. I knew their language too. He was also aware that I knew his language.
At first, he whispered something very softly in the myna's ears. Then he started speaking to her aloud so that I could hear it.
“Sundari, I had gone to Sage Vashisht yesterday. He was telling some people that there is a wish-fulfilling valley at Susamar Mountain. Whoever asks for a wish and jumps in that valley, their wishes get accomplished.
I asked the sage where was that spot. Showering mercy, he said that the spot was on the left of the sal tree on which we sit everyday.
"Its nearby only on the left side of the Sal tree on which you sit.
Listening this, I thought that this life as a bird is full of fears. Any hunter can target us, any bird-catcher may trap us in his net. They may catch us and put us in a cage! Somebody will then cook us in the fire and make us their food. It would be better if we become Vidyadhars. Let us jump from off this valley with the desire to become a Vidyadhar.
You know how happy those people are! How powerful are they! How much wealth they have!
The myna doubted and said, "But do you have complete faith in the words of that sage? Or else we will be killed and take birth in the world of ants instead of Vidyadhars."
“You are so naive. That sage is the supremely truthful. He is a selfless and great man. Why would they say wrong things? Oh, the greatest of kings stay eager to touch the dust of his feet. He is a very knowledgeable and compassionate sage.
"You are right, I liked it too. However, I was thinking that our life as a myna and parrot is fine. Though it is of a bird, but of a superior bird. We are considered better than crows and pigeons. Not just normal humans, even the queens and princesses of great kings like to tame us. They express love with us, so our incarnation is not worth any regret. Also, if one becomes a Vidyadhar by jumping into this valley, then I am ready to take this courage. I don’t mind at all."
"Wow my myna! You have so much wisdom, I realised this today. You are right, what you are thinking is correct. We should not do any work without thinking."
"Then, let’s go! Let’s go to the spot and jump from there into the valley."
I being an elephant, was listening to their talk attentively. I was immersed in deep thought. I did not even realise when the myna and parrot flew away. But within a short span of time, the couple of Vidyadhars came out of the cave and went away flying through the sky.
The words of the parrot stuck in my mind. 'Really, the parrot and myna became Vidyadhars and flew in the sky. Truly, the valley described by the sage is miraculous.”
I was completely unaware of the previous incident.
When Lilarati and Chandralekha had come to hide in the cave and spoke to the parrot about hiding in the cave, I was not there at that time. We were completely unaware of this incident. The parrot took advantage of our lack of knowledge.
The parrot and myna actually flew into the cave. He said to the Vidyadhar who was hiding there, "That enemy of yours has gone, so now you can proceed comfortably on your way!"
The Vidyadhar said, "How can I oblige you?"
The parrot said, "You escape out of here as soon as possible. This will be  your favour to me."
The words of the parrot could not be understood by the Vidyadhar. Moreover, he himself was in a hurry. He was eager to reach his destination. So, with Chandralekha he went in the sky. I saw them leaving and I assumed that they were the parrot and myna. They might have expressed their desire to become a Vidyadhars before jumping into the valley. That’s why, they became real Vidyadhars.
Say, king! What more could an elephant think?"
King Arimardana said, "Gurudev, not just elephant, even a human would think the same. Yes, it is a different matter in case of wise men."
“Sinhakumar! I (Dharmghosh) was shocked hearing all this. A bird, that too a parrot who is adored by man, that bird can lay such a well-planned trap! Men with average intellect would probably make fun of this and laugh saying heights of imagination. They might ignore it saying it’s children’s story. But the narrator of this story was no ordinary man, he was an Avdhi Gyani. Seeing and knowing the past directly through knowledge of the soul, he would speak about it. So the matter is undoubtedly true.
My heart was shaken knowing the fierceness of ill-feelings.”
Dharmaghoshasuriji told Sinhakumar that Acharya Shri Amarguptsuriji further continued his autobiography :
“I (the elephant) thought, what if we also jump in the valley with the desire of becoming Vidyadhars, just like the parrot did?
Looking at my chief elephant, I said, "Queen, if we jump into the valley near the sal tree, then we will become Vidyadhars, like that parrot and myna!
The queen said, “What is the problem in this beautiful forest? We are happy here. There is no sorrow, no human beings come here to catch us. Here, we have no fear of hunting. Then why are you thinking of becoming a Vidyadhar? Further, you have 500 dear ones here."
At that time all the elephants gathered there.
"We adore you, we roam here freely.  Neither is there any problem of eating or drinking nor of living. That’s why, I’m saying that we should not jump into the valley.”
“The queen elephant’s point was correct but jealousy had grew in my mind towards the parrot. If they could become Vidyadhars, why couldn’t we?
This is the evil nature of the beings. Seeing other’s happiness, they feel they have less. Their happiness seems nothing. They try to grab that happiness. If fortune doesn’t support, then they even lose the happiness that they had previously.
But the queen’s words didn’t affect me at all. I was only getting stronger on my decision.
Other elephants had also listened to us. They also forbade me to jump into the valley.
"We are happy on this mountain. We too have the same happiness as Vidyadhars, don’t we? Then why are you thinking of jumping into the valley?"
“Alright, the parrot and myna might’ve become Vidyadhars by the influence of this spot. But what if we don’t? We’ll merely face an untimely death," another elephant gave her opinion.
My inauspicious karmas weren’t allowing me to think wisely. The words of my elephants were correct but I didn’t listen to them. I was stubborn on my decision. I was to be killed by the parrot’s nimitt only. I had to face the karmas of my previous life.
Those parrot and myna were both sitting in the same cave where the Vidyadhars had hidden. And they were watching, waiting for us to jump and die.
I said to my elephants, “I will certainly jump in the valley. If you don’t want to fall, you may step back.”
But those 500 elephants were deeply attached to me. My separation was unbearable for them. As soon as I jumped into the valley, all the 500 elephants jumped behind me.
All of us had an unfortunate death. Many karmas had been destroyed due to bearing pain. As a result of this, I became Vyantar Dev in a city named Kusumshekhar in heaven. All the elephants were born there as my goddesses. Together while living and dying and together in new life as well.
That parrot died and was born in the first hell.