The Forest of Thieves and the Magic Garden: An Anthology of Medieval Jain Stories (Penguin Classics)

by Phyllis Granoff

  Now his friends began to ask Devadiṇṇa what had happened to the other merchants who had gone with him. When she saw that Devadiṇṇa did not answer, Telukkadevī with her magic powers realized what was on his mind and she thought, ‘Nothing should spoil a happy moment like this.’ That was why she said, ‘My noble lord has come swiftly on this magic chariot. The others all tarried a bit, doing various services for the local ruler and receiving in turn much honour. They will surely arrive soon.’ Devadiṇṇa was delighted and thought, ‘How clever my beloved is with words.’

  But when people began to ask about the other merchants every day, then Devadiṇṇa remembered the demi-god. And through the power of the magic wish-granting jewel that the demi-god had given for Bālapaṇḍiyā, at that very instant the demi-god came to him. He asked, ‘For what reason have you summoned me?’ Devadiṇṇa said, ‘Because I cannot make what your daughter said come true.’ The demi-god said, ‘If that is all, then I shall do everything that is necessary. I’ll be right back’ Devadiṇṇa said, ‘Please.’ And the demi-god did do all that he had promised. Devadiṇṇa then spent many happy years like this, all of his wishes fulfilled by the power of the magic wish-granting jewel that he had obtained as a result of his acts of giving away wealth, acts that bore their fruit right here in this world. He was devoted to worshipping the Jinas and the Jain monks; he gave away wealth to the poor and the unfortunate; he fulfilled every wish that he had ever had, and he enjoyed to the fullest every conceivable pleasure of the five senses. He had many sons who were worthy of him.

  Now one day in the course of his monastic tour the Jain monk Sīlasāgara came there. Devadiṇṇa and his wives went out to greet the monk and they bowed down to him with their hearts filled with faith. Receiving his blessings, they all sat down on a clean spot of ground from which all living creatures had been gently removed. The monk began to give a discourse on the Jain faith. He began, ‘When a man has been fortunate to have been born as a human being and in a country where the true religion is taught, then he should spend his efforts in religious pursuits. Listen:

  ‘All you noble souls! It is not such an easy thing to have been born as a human being and in the right country. Most good people know this.

  ‘Now you have all attained such a birth on account of the good deeds that you must have done in a past life. Now you should put your mind to that religion which has been taught by the Omniscient One.

  ‘And that religion is said to be two-fold in practice, for the monks and for the lay believers. You should put all your effort into religion, for it has been said by the wise:

  There will always be unending misfortunes; there will always be the cycle of passion and other bad feelings; there will always be the production of karma; and there will always be the cycle of births;

  There will always be miseries and there will always be false and vain hopes; there will always be men pitifully complaining to other men;

  There will always be poverty, there will always be disease, there will always be this terrible ocean of transmigratory existence with its many sufferings.

  Just as long as this true religion spoken by the Jinas is not encountered by people. But as soon as people, even by chance, encounter this teaching, then:

  Shaking off all sin they will reach the highest place which is filled with unending happiness and is devoid of all suffering.

  At this there arose in Devadiṇṇa a desire to practice religion, and he said, ‘I shall make arrangements for my family and then I shall obey your command by becoming a monk.’

  The teacher said, ‘Do not wait.’ ‘I shall be back.’ With these words Devadiṇṇa returned home. He appointed his eldest son Dhanavaī, “The Rich”, as head of the family. And as festivities were celebrated in the Jain temples, as hosts of monks and nuns were given pure alms, as fellow Jains were honored and feted, as wealth was distributed to the poor and the needy, what more can I say, as everything that was supposed to happen was carried out to perfection, Devadiṇṇa and his wives were ordained by the teacher. He gave them this instruction:

  ‘Hear this! There are people who drink the drink of immortality, the nectar of the Gods. They are the people who have become monks and nuns and are filled with a happiness that nothing can sully.

  ‘And now you all have taken this Blessed Ordination. You have obtained what there is to be obtained in this ocean of births.

  ‘But I warn you that as long as you live you must be careful and exert yourselves, for it is said:

  Those without good fortune, those lowest of men, do not master the religious life. But those who do are the best among men.

  And when Devadiṇṇa said, ‘We desire further instruction.’ the teacher handed the women over to the nun Sflamanī. They all took upon themselves two sets of vows. They lived a perfect life as ascetics for many years. At the end of their appointed lifespan they all fasted to death and became gods in the twelfth heaven. When they fall from there they will be reborn in Mahāvideha where they will achieve their ultimate liberation.

  And so I say,

  The fact that although he had fallen into distress, the lord of the ocean Sutthia was pleased with him, and the fact that he was able to return to his parents, all of this is the result of his giving away wealth.

  The fact that he obtained those women to enjoy sensual pleasure with, women who had conquered the women of the Gods with their charm and their beauty, all of this is the result of his giving away wealth.

  The fact that he got so many gorgeous silk clothes, fine, beautiful, of every different colour, all of this is the result of his giving away wealth.

  The fact that he got so many glowing jewels, wish-granting jewels, cats-eyes, diamonds and more, all of this is the result of his giving away wealth.

  The fact that he got heap upon heap of valuables, jewels, pearls, coral, gold and other such things, all of this is the result of his giving away wealth.

  The fact that he enjoyed so many pleasures that delighted his ears, his sense of smell, his taste, touch and eyes; the fact that he got unparalleled glory, all of this is the result of his giving away wealth.

  Considering all of these fruits that come about in this very life from the act of giving away wealth, give all you can with all your might!

  (from the Mūlaśuddhiprakaraṇa of Pradyumnasūri, p. 169)

  31

  VICE AND VIRTUE

  The account of the transmigrating soul that has been reborn in animal bodies is completed. Now follows an account of the soul in its human births.

  The transmigrating soul said: ‘Then my lady Agrhītasamketā, “Ignorant of the Truth”, was given a magic pill to send me to my next rebirth and off I went. Now in this city that we call Life as a Human Being there is a small area called Bharata. Its most famous town is known as Jayasthala, “Place of Victory”. There reigned King Padma, endowed with every virtue necessary to rule. His chief queen was named Nandā; she was like the Goddess Rati, wife of the God of Love, whom her husband indeed resembled in his fine looks. I entered her womb and because that was the way things were to be, I lived there in her womb for the required time. I emerged from her womb along with Punyodaya, “Rise of Merit”. When Queen Nandā saw me, she felt a false sense of ownership over me and thought to herself, ‘I have a son’ A young servant, Pramodakumbha, “Vessel of Joy”, informed the king of my birth. The king, too, conceived the notion, ‘My son has been born.’ The king was so delighted that shivers of joy ran through his entire body. He gave a reward to the servant, who had given him the news. He commanded that a great celebration be held in honor of my birth. And so great gifts were given; prisoners were released from prison; the guardian deities of the city were worshipped; the markets and city gates were decorated; the main thoroughfares were adorned; drums were struck to mark the happy occasion, and the townspeople decked out in their finery hastened to the palace. They were welcomed there and the proper ceremonies were carried out. A chorus of drums resounded. Auspicious songs were sung. T
he women danced, along with the men who guarded the harem, the hunchbacks, dwarfs, and the rest of the king’s retinue. Thus a great celebration took place at my birth. When the festivities were over a month later, my name “Transmigrating Soul” was set aside in favor of a new name, Nandivardhana. Even I wrongly came to think of myself as belonging to my mother and father; I now thought of myself as their son. I grew to be three years old, constantly bringing joy to my mother and father, and tended by five nursemaids, who saw to my every need.

  ‘Now, ever since I had left the realm of Insentient Beings I had been accompanied by a two-fold retinue, that is, I had internal and external companions. Among my internal companions was a nursemaid, a brahmin lady named Avivekatā, “Lack of Discrimination”. On the very day that I was born she had also given birth to a son, who was named Vaisvanara, “Fire”. He had always been with me, but in a subtle state; now he was with me in a more concrete and solid form. Here is what I mean. He had two clumsy looking large feet, Hostility and Belligerence. Jealousy and Thievery made up his two calves that were fat, rough and stumpy looking. Hatred and Discontent were his hideous thighs. Vicious Backbiting constituted his hips, which were deformed, one side being unnaturally higher than the other, while an uncanny Ability to Ferret Out the Weaknesses of Another made up his ugly, fat and pendulous belly. His chest, Remorse, was rough and lumpy, while he sported short and stubby arms, Envy and Spite. He strutted about with Brutality as his long and crooked neck, displaying Vulgar Speech and the like as his teeth which, though few in number, were sharp like fangs and unconcealed by any lips. He had nothing but gaping holes for ears that made him look totally ludicrous; they were Fiendishness and Resentment. He was quite a charmer with his flat nose, Evil Nature, barely distinguishable from the rest of his face. He made something of a stir with his round eyes that were red like cut open guñja berries; they were Brutality and Ruthlessness. Barbarous Conduct was his enormous triangular-shaped head. He was true to his namesake, with his red hair, Tormenting Others, that resembled a mass of flames. This is what the brahmin boy Vaiévānara looked like.

  ‘I grew quite fond of him, since I had known him for such a long time. I considered him to be my friend and had no clue that he was actually my worst enemy. I got the idea that being with him was good for me; after all, he was the son of Lack of Discrimination and an intimate associate of mine. Realizing how I felt, he thought to himself, “Aha! The prince likes me. I’ll go to him.” And so he did. He embraced me and openly showed his affection for me. We grew closer and closer and began to be the best of friends. Wherever I went, in the house or outside, he never left my side even for a moment. Rise of Merit, dwelling in my mind, became angry at my friendship with Vaiśvānara and thought, “My goodness. This Vaiśvānara is my sworn enemy. But that doesn’t stop this foolish Nandivardhana from casting me aside, although I care deeply for him, and becoming friends with that one, who is really his worst enemy and whose very body is made up of all the vices. Or perhaps there is nothing unusual in the behavior of the prince. People who are deluded do not realize the true nature of their wicked companions. They do not understand what terrible things can happen to them from hanging around with the wrong crowd. They do not listen to the good person who would put an end to their association with the wrong friends. They give up their decent friends for the sake of their bad ones. They go astray under the influence of such harmful company. They never give up their bad friends because someone tells them to; they have to get into trouble first, like a blind man who rushes headlong into a wall. Clearly the prince Nandivardhana is deluded and that is why he hangs around with the likes of Vaiś vānara. What use would it be for me to try to stop him? The lady Fate will eventually bring us together. Besides, I became his friend because he impressed me when he was in his birth as an elephant and he cultivated such an attitude of supreme equanimity despite the pain he was suffering. That is why it would not be right for me to abandon Prince Nandivardhana completely, even though I am good and mad at him for keeping such bad company.’ Rise of Merit considered all these things and did not leave my side. He stayed with me, although he chose to remain in hiding.

  ‘I have told you about my internal companions. I also had many external friends from the time I was born. As I grew up I played all sorts of games with them. When we played, even the older children, who were also of noble birth and were physically quite strong, trembled in fear of me when they realized that Vaiśvānara had got his clutches into me. They would come and bow down to me and try to curry favor with me. They would do whatever I commanded. None of them would dare to ignore anything that I said. What more do I have to tell you? They were even terrified if they saw a picture of me! But really the cause of my superior position among the other children was actually Rise of Merit, that was in hiding near me. Because I was deluded, this is what I thought, “These boys, even though they’re bigger than I am, treat me like this because of my good friend Vaiśvānara. His presence makes me powerful. He makes me tough. He increases my might and gives me strength. He makes my mind firm. He makes me resolute and steadfast so that I won’t give up. He makes me a real hero. What more do I have to say? I owe all my manliness to him.” Thoughts like this made me even fonder of Vaisāvānara.

  ‘I turned eight years old. King Padma decided, “It is time for the prince to learn the various traditional arts.” The propitious day for me to start was determined. The best of teachers was summoned. The teacher was properly honored. Everything that needed to be done was done. With great deference my father handed me over to the teacher. My brothers, the other princes, had already been entrusted to the care of the teacher. Along with them I began to learn the arts. In a very short time I mastered them all, for nothing was lacking in my education and I was an eager student. The teacher was also a good teacher for me, and as a prince I hadn’t a care in the world to distract me. Fate was kind; Rise of Merit was at my side and much of my bad karma that might have prevented me from learning had already been destroyed. And so I soon mastered the arts with a joyful heart.

  ‘My best friend Vaiśvānara was always by my side. He was constantly putting his arms around me, sometimes for no reason at all. And when he put his arms around me I forgot what my elders had taught me. I didn’t care about my family’s good name. I wasn’t afraid of making my father suffer. I didn’t realize what the true state of affairs was. I wasn’t even aware of my own inner suffering. I had no idea that if I was going to behave like that, I shouldn’t bother cultivating the arts. I thought that there was no friend as dear to me as Vaiévānara and so I did whatever he told me. Sweating, my eyes bright red and my brows furrowed in anger, I fought with the other children and hit them where it hurt. I lied and I wouldn’t tolerate it when any of them said anything, even something neutral. I would beat them with whatever I could find nearby, pieces of wood, whatever. When they saw me in Vaiśvānara’s clutches like this, they were struck with fear. They would say what they thought I wanted to hear and would do things to try to appease me; they would try to win me over by throwing themselves at my feet. What more do I have to say? Those courageous princes would begin to act differently even when they caught wind of my presence, like poisonous snakes robbed of their power by some magic spell.

  ‘Those princes were all terrified and trembled in fear. They were like prisoners, though, and obedient to the wishes of their parents, they continued to study with me, although they were clearly miserable. They never told the teacher what was going on; they were convinced I would kill them all. But since we were always together, the teacher was aware of everything I was doing. The only thing was that he was also afraid of me, since he had seen what I was capable of doing and so he didn’t dare to chastise me openly. If he would even so much as hint at my wrong doing, I would scream at him and beat him up. And so he came to behave towards me just as the other princes did. In my great delusion I thought to myself, “Look at what power my best friend has! Look at the great things he does for me! He’s so clever and he’s so de
voted to me. See how firm his affection for me is; he puts his arms around me and makes me so powerful that no one dares to disobey my commands! He never leaves my side. He is truly my best friend, my second self, my everything, my life, my law. Without him a person is impotent, no better than a straw man.” When I thought things like this my affection for Vaiśvānara grew even deeper.

  ‘One day when we were alone and sharing our innermost secrets with each other, I told him, “I won’t beat about the bush. I entrust you with my life. Take it and do with it what you will.” When I said this, Vaiśvānara thought, “My efforts have been successful; now he is entirely in my control. By saying what he has said he has shown me how devoted he is to me. And such devoted friends listen to you. They accept your words without question. They obey them in their hearts and with their actions. Now is my chance.” So Vaiśvānara thought to himself; but to me he said, “Prince! I do not doubt you for a minute. That the prince says these words to me, even though I know full well what is in his heart, is evidence of the great favor he bestows upon me. The munificence of the prince causes him in his great joy to utter these words, though they do not need to be spoken. But let me come to my point. I must make the prince immortal; it is my duty to my sovereign.” I asked him, “How can you do that?” He replied, “I know some alchemy.” I told him, “Best friend! Then go ahead!” He now replied, “As the prince commands.” He then prepared some pills called Cruel Thoughts and gave them to me when we were alone. He told me, “Prince! Here are some pills that I made for you with my special skills. They fill a man with courage and allow him to accomplish whatever he wishes; they also grant him long life. Take them.”