SAMRADITYA SAGA Part 2 - TANGLES OF HATRED

Result of betrayal

In the tenth heaven named Pranat, I enjoyed divine pleasures for nineteen Sagaropam. Countless years passed. Life ended and I was born in Airavat Kshetra of Jambudweep.
In Hastinapur city, a merchant named Harinandi and his wife named Lakshmivati were leading a happy life. I was born in their house. I was named Veerdev.
Dhandev kept burning in the fire of sorrows for nine Sagaropam in Pankprabha. After life ended, he came out of hell and reincarnated as a snake. He made many creatures a victim of his poison in the forest. He also had bitten many humans. Finally, he himself got trapped in a forest fire. He got a very bad death by burning in it. After dying, he went to Pankprabha again. There, he endured grievous sorrows for ten Sagaropam. Then, he was born in the animal kingdom. He had many incarnations as an animal. All his lives were filled with suffering.
When sorrows are tolerated unwillingly, karmas are shed even then. After the destruction of many sinful karmas, the soul of Dhandev was born in the same city in which I was born.
A merchant named Indra lived in Hastinapur. His wife was Nandimati. Even after many years of marriage, they had not received a son. They were extremely sad without a son. Ultimately, they had a son in their old age. It was the soul of Dhandev and he was named Dronak.
Indrashreshti had a good relationship with my father. We also used to visit each other’s houses. Dronak and I were of the same age. We were put to study together in the same school.
I used to like Dronak. I became friends with him. However, he had no goodwill or affection for me at all. Yet, he kept friendship with me out of greed. He knew that my father had a lot of wealth. He used to think that I am very innocent.  And he considered himself to be very brilliant.
Our education got over.
In the same year, Acharya Shri Manbhangsuri came to our city. I used to go to Acharyaji every day with Dronak. We used to listen to the teachings of Acharyaji every day. Acharyaji explained us the twelve-fold religion of householders. Dronak and I accepted the vows of Shravak.
Since Dronak also accepted the vows, a great sense of affection rose within me towards him. Although Dronak had nothing to do with religion! He had thought, 'If I accept the vows of a Shravak, then Veerdev will be pleased with me. If he will be pleased, then he will give me any amount of money I ask for my business.’ With such selfish motives, he had adopted the vows. Because of my simple nature, I could not smell his selfishness at all!
A few months passed just like that. Acharyaji had left from our city. I was worried about Dronak. He was spending time in vain without doing any business. I thought of involving him in business.
I called him to my mansion and said, “Dronak, do you want to do some business?”
“I want to, but it needs a lot of money.  Where do I have so much money? From where can I even get it?”
“Don’t worry about the money! I will give you money. But you do business well so that you can earn something!”
“Great, I also wish to do business!”
“I want you to do business with justice, ethics and honesty! Do not do any such wrong business because of which you and I are condemned in the society!”
He agreed.
I gave him one lakh gold coins.
He said, “When I earn, I will return these coins.”
I felt glad listening to him. A feeling of respect arose within me for his good intention.
He started a business of gold and silver in the market. Slowly, his business began to settle. His earnings started getting better. As the wealth started increasing, so did his greed. He also started wrong business on the other hand. There might have been some fortune of his previous life as a result of which he started making a lot of profit even in the wrong business. He collected a lot of money.
But whenever I asked him about his business, ‘Dronak, how’s your business going?’ He used to give a blank reply saying, 'Nothing is settling yet.’ Although in reality, he had collected a lot of money.
There was fear in his mind, ‘If Veerdev finds out that I have earned lakhs of rupees, then he will ask for his gold coins back. Not only this, maybe he will also ask for a share in the profits made in the business.’ That’s why, he never spoke the truth in front of me. He used to ignore that topic. I also never used to discuss business with him. The help that I had done, was selfless. There was no intention to take back the gold coins. He was becoming a victim of fear without any reason.
‘He will definitely ask for half of the money I earn. But I will never tell him about my earnings. Still, the truth will be revealed one day. I want to renovate my mansion and shop too. When I will do all this, then Veerdev will definitely ask me, ‘From where did you get all this money? Give me my share too.’ After all, I have earned money from his given capital. Whatever I have, is because of his one lakh gold coins.
This way, he entangled himself in a web of such fuzzy fantasies. And he reached at one point in his journey of thoughts, my murder. 'If I manage to kill Veerdev by any means, then there will be no burden on my head. If the cause itself is vanished, there will be no problem at all. But killing Veerdev isn’t an ordinary task. If I am caught, while killing or even after killing, then the king will hang me. So, it would be better if I plan his murder in such a way that neither I am accused of murder nor I am caught.”
For a few days, he couldn’t think of any plan. He started being very restless. He didn’t even meet me quite often. Sometimes, if I went to the market, I would find him at the shop. Although, whenever he met, he would sit and talk to me nicely. He would discuss about religion only. He knew that I was deeply interested in matters of religion. He wanted to keep me happy by talking about my favourite things. I was innocent. I had no doubt on his intentions at all! I couldn’t guess that Dronak was thinking bad for me. His outward behavior was the same.
***
Nearly ten years passed since Dronak had started his business. One day he came to me. I called him affectionately. 
Sitting next to me, he said, “Veerdev, you know that our mansion belongs to the era of the ancestors. It has also become very dilapidated. I intend to build a new mansion. If I build a new mansion, I will not be able to return your gold coins at the moment. I’ll definitely pay back. But this big task is also pending in front of me.”
I simply said to Dronak, “Friend, be sure and get the mansion built. I am not in any hurry for the money. When have I asked you for my money back? Why are you worried about my money?”
He said, “Friend, you have done a great favour on me. I will get the mansion built, but you will have to enter it first. With the steps of a divine soul like you, may my mansion always be full of wealth. JoJ and peace will always reside there. You will have to come for sure.”
“Dronak, since you have requested, I will definitely come to your mansion. But I am not a great man as you believe. I am a common worldly person who is involved in many sinful activities. Great men are those who practise monkhood and live a completely sinless life.”
“Veerdev this is your humility. Great men never say that they are great. Also, I know every single person in this city. I have never seen a spiritual soul like you.”
He praised me wholeheartedly. We had dinner together and then he left. Who doesn’t like the one who praise? Moreover, Dronak was my friend. Affections for Dronak doubled in my heart. How could I have guessed the cunningness of his dirty mind? We ate together. I did not have such knowledge that I could know the desire of his heart. And the cunning men are so clever that they do not let anyone guess their feelings. Whereas the simple natured people do not consider anyone in the world to be cunning.
Dronak called the best architects of the city to build his mansion and told them, “You have to build such a mansion which is like no other one in Hastinapur. There should be no shortage of any kind.
• Lay the best stones
• The design should be unique
• The exterior view should also look beautiful
After the mansion is ready, the finest art has to be done inside. Inside the mansion, each pillar is to be carved and adorned with gems. On the roof of each section, portraits of dancers should be placed.
Whatever Dronak could think of, he kept on talking.
The construction of the mansion began.
Drona was anyway in a hurry to build the mansion. The work started in full swing.
• In two months, the ground floor of the mansion was prepared.
• And in the next two months, the upper floor was built. Two months went in cleaning and other construction. And the next six months went in painting and decoration. In twelve months, the mansion was almost ready. Now, only carvings were left.
Dronak invited the chief artisan to his house. He fed him with great affection. He honoured him by presenting him with precious clothes and a gold necklace.
Later he told him, “You have done the construction of the mansion as per my wish. Now, there is one important task for you. Staircase to go from the ground to the top floor are pending. Those stairs are to be made in such a way that as soon as the person who climbs it first reaches the last step, the staircase breaks. That’s it. Later on, make a permanent stone staircase. For now, make a wooden staircase only.
The artisan has to do the work as told by the master. There was no reason to question him. He made a staircase of that sort. Dronak himself went and saw that staircase too.
After this, he went to the astrologer’s house. The muhurt was checked for placing the Kumbh Kalash in the mansion.
Then he came to me.
“Veerdev, on the auspicious day of Vasant Panchami, we shall place the Kumbh Kalash in the new mansion. You have to enter the mansion first and foremost. I will come in the morning to pick you up.”
He was quite excited. His plan to kill me now seemed to move towards fulfilment. He was dancing with the idea of succeeding in his task very easily. If everything works as per his plan, then there will be no accusation on him. And if I fall down from the stairs in the presence of many distinguished citizens of the city, then it will be discussed in the city that ‘Shrestiputra Veerdev was climbing the stairs when the staircase broke suddenly and Veerdev fell on the ground and died.’ There would be no question of doubting Dronak.
Dronak had invited all the well-known citizens. The entire mansion was decorated with flowers. Fragrant water was sprinkled in the courtyard. Fragrant incense was burning all around. The atmosphere was resonating with the sound of musical instruments.
He came to my house.
Together, we both walked upto his mansion. The women of his family gave me a warm welcome.
I entered the mansion with Dronak. Other gentlemen also entered behind us.
Dronak was walking ahead of me whilst showing me one room after the other and describing it. Seeing the mansion, all the gentlemen uttered words of praise. Hearing the praises, happiness surrounded Dronak. After seeing the ground floor, we came near the staircase to go to the upper floor. Indulged in describing the mansion, Dronak, who was walking in front of me, started climbing the stairs. The staircase was so narrow that two men could not climb it at the same time. I kept standing down. Dronak was climbing up. I thought, 'I’ll climb up once Dronak climbs.’ Dronak was climbing up while talking about the mansion. As soon as he set foot on the last step, the entire staircase collapsed. Dronak fell on the ground.
I was astonished. All the citizens and Dronaka’s family members started screaming in horror. I went and sat beside Dronak. His head had burst, it was bleeding. Before the doctor came, his consciousness had left the cage and flew away.
Dronak died.
The trap he had made to kill me; he himself got trapped in it and was killed miserably.
I consoled his family. After completing his funeral, all of us returned to our respective homes. My detachment had intensified.
Drona’s accident had shaken my soul. Anyway, the feeling of detachment was going on in my soul since the last six lives. That feeling of self-realization had become stronger now.
A feeling of detachment towards material pleasures was growing in my mind.
I resolved to leave home and accept monkhood.
I told my family, “I will renounce home and accept monkhood.”
Suddenly, I remembered the gold coins I had given to Dronak.
I told my family, “Don’t ask for the gold coins given to Dronak, from his wife. Those gold coins are not to be taken back.”
My attraction towards monkhood was increasing. The supreme feeling of following the Dharm of saints was playing in my soul.
I found out where Acharya Devsen was present. I requested him to visit Hastinapur. He came and granted monkhood to me.
• I followed Sadhu Dharm flawlessly with increased passion.
• My life span came to an end. My soul took birth in the third Graiveyak of heaven.
• Dronak’s soul was born in the hell named Dhoomprabha.