Aate Ka Murga

Here is a comprehensive summary of the Jain text "Aate Ka Murga" (The Wheat Flour Rooster), based on the provided pages:

The book "Aate Ka Murga" is a Jain comic book that aims to introduce Jain culture and principles to children. It is based on the Sanskrit epic "Yashastilaka Champu Mahakavya" by Digambara Acharya Somdev Suri. The editorial highlights India as a land of spirituality and emphasizes the importance of self-reliance, philosophical understanding, and living a detached life, like a lotus in water. It stresses that stories derive their value from expressing living truths.

The central theme of the book revolves around Ahimsa (non-violence), a core Jain principle. The story illustrates how King Yashodhar, influenced by the advice of a religious preceptor, sacrificed a rooster made of wheat flour (Aate Ka Murga) to the goddess Chandramari. This act of symbolic violence, even though not involving a living creature, led him to suffer immense sorrow for seven lifetimes, along with his mother. Jain acharyas and monks strive to elevate humanity above animalistic tendencies towards compassion.

The Narrative:

The story begins in the city of Rajpur, ruled by King Maridatta. King Maridatta was fond of pleasures and sought fame and praise. He visited a philosopher of the Charvaka sect, who advised him to sacrifice pairs of living beings before the goddess Chandramari to gain unequaled fame and victory.

Meanwhile, Digambara Jain Acharya Shri Sudatta Sagarji Maharaj was traveling with his disciples. Upon learning through his divine knowledge (Avadhi Gyan) that the upcoming ninth day of Chaitra Shukla would be a day of violence, he decided to observe a fast and instructed his disciples to seek alms in nearby villages. He also called upon two of his disciples, a Khushllak and a Khushllika (monks in training), and ordered them to go to Rajpur for alms. These disciples were spiritually advanced and remembered their past lives.

The King's men were sent to find a suitable "pair" for the sacrifice. They encountered the Khushllak and Khushllika, who, despite their initial apprehension, were brought to the temple of Chandramari. Seeing them, King Maridatta was moved by compassion and recognized them as his nephew and niece, who had taken religious vows at a young age. He refused to sacrifice them, realizing the futility of such acts.

The Story of King Yashodhar and the Wheat Flour Rooster:

The narrative then shifts to the past, detailing the story of King Yashodhar. His mother, Chandramati, had a dream of a virtuous son. After Yashodhar was born, he grew up and married Amritamati. Upon seeing a white hair on his wife's head, King Yashodhar realized the impermanence of life and the fleeting nature of worldly pleasures, leading him to renounce his kingdom and become a Digambara monk.

Later, Yashodhar's wife, Amritamati, had a son named Yashomati. Amritamati, however, developed an illicit relationship with the king's mahavat (elephant rider). When Yashodhar (now a monk) became aware of this, he decided to take diksha. His wife, fearing exposure, plotted to poison him and their son Yashomati, which they both consumed and died.

As a consequence of their actions, Yashodhar and Amritamati were reborn as a rooster and hen in the household of a Chandala (outcast). One day, they were taken to a garden where they encountered a Muni (monk). The Muni, through his divine knowledge, recognized them and preached about the cycle of suffering caused by karma, the importance of Ahimsa, and the consequences of violence. He revealed that the two roosters were none other than Yashodhar and his mother Chandramati, who were suffering the consequences of the wheat flour rooster sacrifice.

Meanwhile, King Yashomati and his wife Kusumavati were also in the garden. King Yashomati, using his skill in archery, shot and killed the two roosters.

Many years later, King Yashomati, while on his way to meet the same Muni, was informed that the roosters he had killed were his father Yashodhar and his grandmother Chandramati. He learned that Yashodhar had been reborn as a rooster due to the sacrifice of the wheat flour rooster, and Chandramati (his mother in that life, but grandmother in this) was also reborn as a hen.

Upon hearing this, King Yashomati and his sister (who was also reborn from his previous life) were filled with remorse and renounced the world to take diksha. They realized the immense suffering caused by even symbolic violence.

The Conclusion:

The goddess Chandramari, overhearing this entire story from the Muni, was saddened and declared that no more animal sacrifices would be made in her temple. She warned that anyone who committed violence would face destruction. The story concludes with the triumphant declaration of "Ahimsa Dharma Ki Jai Ho" (Victory to the Law of Non-Violence), echoing throughout the temple.

The book serves as a cautionary tale, emphasizing that even seemingly minor acts of violence, or adherence to harmful traditions, can have severe karmic repercussions across multiple lifetimes. It strongly advocates for the Jain principle of Ahimsa as the path to liberation from suffering.