You both left Laxminilay and chose to walk towards Hastinapur. But your mind was not ready to go to Hastinapur. Your mind was revolving in thoughts of Jinmati. ‘Jinmati was born in a dignified family. She was also influenced by the words of the Tirthankar. Each thought of hers was in accordance with his teachings. Will a lady like this defame her family? Wouldn’t the teachings of Tirthankar have stopped her from doing wrong? Didn’t her heart filled with good teachings stop her from taking a wrong step? My mind is still not accepting that Jinmati could have done such a wrong deed. Still, my Gurudev Anangdev used to say, “The rise of severe illuding karma puts the soul off track.” Has Jinmati been overpowered by such intense karma? Has she diverted as a result of rise of such karmas? Then this sinful karma itself is worthy of criticism. If sinful karmas can divert Jinmati from her track, then it can make me also fall on the wrong path anytime! Actually, this is how the physical world is! In this journey, one comes across more negative situations than positive. As a result of this, beings experience downfall. So it’s better I renounce this world. If I go home, my parents will get to know everything and they will ask me to get married to some other woman. They will pressurize me! I don’t want to go home.
It would be better to not return to Hastinapur. I'll go to Gurudev Anangdev right away and accept monkhood at his feet. This way, my present and future life will be fruitful!
I’ll have to find out where Gurudev is present right now. After finding out, I will visit him. If I meet any saint on the way, he will help me out. And now if I don’t intend to go to Hastinapur, then there is no need to keep Mangalak with me. I will ask him to go to Hastinapur since I wish to accept monkhood under the aegis of Gurudev. He has given me a lot of support.’
I said to Mangalak, “Mangalak, you go back to Hastinapur. I don’t wish to come to Hastinapur now! I will accept monkhood from Acharya Anangdev. My mind has given up on sensory pleasures now.”
Mangalak said, "Samudradutt, this detachment of yours is temporary. Depressed due to separation from Jinmati, you want to renounce the world. That is not at all appropriate. You will get many ideal women like Jinmati. Please forget Jinmati.”
“Friend, Jinmati is just an external factor. But with that factor, I have realised the reality of this world. This life is actually filled with many problems and difficulties. Now, my mind is willing to move ahead on the path of spirituality. My desires have calmed down. Then what is the point of living here? So, I will go on my way, and you on yours.”
Hearing your words, Mangalak misjudged you. ‘This son of a merchant is very sly. Leaving me far away, he will reach on top of that mountain alone and extract the treasure. I have understood his trick. But I am not so foolish that I'll get trapped by his words and let him take the treasure all by himself.’
Thinking this, he said, “Friend, how can I leave you like this and go to my town? What answer will I give to your parents? And then I’ll have to listen to their scolding. No, I will not do this. Alright, if you want to go to Gurudev and renounce this world, then even I will join you. I will go to Hastinapur after you accept monkhood. I cannot accept monkhood with you. Following the vows of monkhood is not my cup of tea!”
Hearing Mangalak’s words, you remained silent. You felt Mangalak was right. ‘Leaving me alone midway and returning to our town won’t be appropriate. He is so wise. He has so much affection towards me. Okay, let him come with me to Gurudev. If he’ll go after I accept monkhood, then he will also update my parents about my renunciation.
You both kept walking. When tired, you used to take rest at some resthouse. When hungry, you would have food in some nearby town or village. And this is how your journey kept going. Mangalak's mind was revolving amidst terribly cruel thoughts. He was only thinking of where and how to kill you. He realised that ‘Mt. Laxmi has been left far behind. We have come far away.’ There was panic in his mind.
Here, the roads too were deserted. There were no trespassers on that road. Groups of trees could be seen at some intervals. There were pits along the way. It was a mountainous region. Mangalak was walking whilst looking around with suspicious eyes. ‘I hope no one sees me attacking Samudradutt.’ Occupied with such thoughts, he was walking behind you while you were immersed in auspicious thoughts.
In no time, Mangalak took out his knife from the cloth tied around his waist and stabbed your back. You were shocked for a moment. Before you could stop and look behind, Mangalak threw the knife and started running backwards. To find out who attacked you, you looked back and found Mangalak running away. You were surprised and wondered why Mangalak was running. ‘No thief or robber can be seen. What has happened? Who stabbed me?’ You looked on the ground and found a knife stained with blood. Picking it up, you realized it was Mangalak’s knife. ‘I have never harmed or done anything wrong to him.’
You called Mangalak and asked him to return but he did not hear your voice. Like a madman, he was running towards Mt. Laxmi. You thought for a while and understood the scenario. ‘Surely, it is Mangalak who has used the knife. The treasure hidden in Mt. Laxmi might have given rise to greed in his mind. Which sin is not committed when man gets trapped in the clutches of greed? It was greed that made him betray.’
Tirthankar Ajitdev said, “Vijaysinh, the story of Jinmati struck in your mind. ‘Whatever Mangalak had said about Jinmati, it definitely might have been a product of his crooked mind. To keep me away from Mt. Laxmi, he put false accusations on Jinmati and pretended to remove her from my mind.’
The wound in your back was deep. Blood was oozing out. You couldn’t find any way to stop the flow of blood from the wound. The sun was setting.
Meanwhile, you saw a group of saints approaching. The saints too had seen you from far. They had also seen Mangalak stabbing you with a knife and escaping. The saints took quick steps and came towards you. They recognized you. You touched their feet. They blessed you saying ‘Dharmlabh'.
Then they asked, “Samudradutt, what has happened to you? Your back is bleeding!”
You narrated the entire incident to the saints.
Then you humbly asked, “Where will I find Acharya Anangdev?”
“You will find him here itself. Look, he is coming towards you.”
You saw him approaching. You got excited. You forgot your pain. You touched his feet. Gurudev blessed you in a soft and sweet voice. The saints narrated the whole scenario.
Comforting you, Gurudev asked, “Son, what was not supposed to happen, has happened. Unwanted things happen frequently in this physical world. You were thinking Mangalak is your friend, he will never betray you and he himself betrayed. On the other hand, you would have never dreamt that we will meet you in this place. You would have never thought of doubting Jinmati even bymistake. But you got to hear!”
You said, “Gurudev whatever I heard is absolutely a lie. Because Mangalak was the one who narrated it.”
“Dear, your are right. Your opinion is correct. But even for once, you had to hear something like this and that too from a dear friend! This is the strangeness of this world. Don’t feel sorry. Come with us to Thaneshwar. It’s nearby. Your wound is quite deep. You’ll be able to receive treatment-medicine there.”
You reached Thaneshwar with them. Acharyaji halted there for a month. Your wound also healed slowly.
One day, you asked Acharyaji, “Gurudev, will I be able to find about Jinmati’s reality?”
Acharyaji said, “You'll get to know the true story today itself. A devotee from Laxminilay has come here to worship. He will give you the real information.”
You received the news that Jinmati was at her father’s place and was waiting for you.
Hearing the news, you felt good. Your mind was resolved. Your doubts had vanished. At the same time, thinking about Mangalak filled your heart with sorrow.
You thought, ‘On seeing the treasure at Mt. Laxmi, he might have got diseased with greed. When you refused him from taking the treasure, he agreed to you at that time. But the same thoughts were revolving in his mind. The desire to grab the treasure became stronger. With the apprehension that I will not allow him to take the treasure, he tried to make me sleep in the lap of death. He might have seen the saints coming from far. Hence, he attacked you once and ran away. If he had not seen them, then he would have attacked me more. Well, I don’t fear death but if I died without practising monkhood, then my human life would have gone in vain. I am saved. I have got a new life. Hence, I will accept monkhood.’
The desire to accept monkhood arose in your mind along with the thoughts of Jinmati.
‘I will meet Jinmati once. She must have been worried and thinking, ‘Why did no one come to pick me? He himself was going to come to pick me up. What would have happened to him?’
Should I go and tell her about the whole scene? And then accept monkhood. Perhaps she herself is influenced by the teachings of Tirthankar. She understands the nature of the physical world. That’s why she can resolve her mind on her own. It won’t be appropriate for me to go now. On going there, Jinmati and her parents might force me to stay and ask me to renounce later. If they stop me this way, then my wish won’t be fulfilled. Hence, I will renounce the world and then go to Laxminilay with Gurudev. Jinmati is someone who will follow my footsteps. Seeing me as a saint, she will also become one.
Maybe she will receive the news of my renunciation before we reach there. Then she will look for me, come wherever we are and then renounce the world.’
You dropped the thought of going to Laxminilay.
You said to Gurudev, “Gurudev, Please grant me monkhood.”
Gurudev said, “Your decision is appropriate. If there is anything worthy in this world, it is monkhood!”
You became a monk.
Along with Acharya Anangdev, you started wandering in that region. Few months passed. You went to a town where a friend of Jinmati lived. She knew you well. Seeing you draped in saint’s clothes, she was shocked. She immediately sent a message to Jinmati, “Samudradutt has become a saint.”
When Jinmati received the news, she was shocked for a moment. ‘He renounced the world? Great. My path has become easy. Now, I will also renounce the world because this world is filled with unlimited and endless worries. The end result of union of loved ones is – separation!
The result of enjoyment of materialistic pleasures is - severe pain!
Only the words of Tirthankars are beneficial for the current and future lives.
I also want to accept monkhood. It had been my deepest desire. However, due to attachment towards sensory pleasures, I was not able to renounce. While, the desire to renounce had never arisen in his mind. He was fonder of sensory pleasures than me. He had so much affection towards me. How did he accept monkhood? He might have got a strong reason for detachment! He did a great job. He has made his life meaningful!
With the permission of my parents, I will go where Acharya Anangdev is present. I will find out where he has halted. Then I will worship him and accept monkhood.’
Jinmati told her parents that Samudradutt had become a saint. They were upset and shocked.
They told Jinmati, “Daughter, it’s okay. He liked it and so he attained monkhood. You don’t worry. You stay with us.”
At that time, Jinmati conveyed her decision. Her parents cried. They tried convincing Jinmati to not renounce the world. But Jinmati remained firm on her decision.
“My husband's path is mine too!”
Jinmati left to come to you along with her father. They arrived at Jaymangla, where you were present with Acharyaji.
Jinmati saw you. She was delighted.
She said, “You have done a great job. You have cut the poisonous tree of attachment and accepted the path of great men. You have rescued yourself from this ocean of life cycle. Now, save me too. I am here to renounce the world. Your detachment has made me stronger. But please tell me the reason for your detachment!”
You narrated everything from leaving Hastinapur, going to Mt. Laksmi, then to the garden of Laxminilay, and then returning from there, Mangalak’s false words and attack on the way and finally meeting Gurudev.
Jinmati said, “Really, Mangalak became a strong reason for your self-realisation and your detachment has become a reason for mine!”
• Jinmati accepted monkhood by Acharya Anangdev.
• You followed monkhood flawlessly for a long time.
• Your life span was complete.
You died and reincarnated as a heavenly being.
Jinmati also died peacefully and reincarnated in heaven.
