Buddhinidhan Abhaykumar Diwakar Chitrakatha 006

Here's a comprehensive summary of the Jain text "Buddhinidhan Abhaykumar Diwakar Chitrakatha 006" in English:

This comic book, "Buddhinidhan Abhaykumar" (Abhaykumar, the Treasure of Wisdom), part of the Diwakar Chitrakatha series, focuses on the life and exceptional intelligence of Abhaykumar, a prominent figure in Jain history. The book is authored by Ganeshmuni and Shreechand Surana and published by Diwakar Prakashan.

Core Message: The book emphasizes the paramount importance of "intellectual strength" (Buddhi-bal) in overcoming challenges and influencing the world. It highlights that while humans are intelligent, true genius lies in individuals who use their wisdom to solve complex problems and ensure justice and well-being for all. Abhaykumar is presented as the epitome of such wisdom.

Abhaykumar's Background and Rise to Power:

• Abhaykumar was the only son of King Shrenik of Magadh and his queen Nanda, who was herself from a merchant family.
• He spent his childhood away from his father, in his maternal grandparents' home.
• Upon learning his father was the King of Magadh, he met him with dignity and pride, maintaining his mother's honor.
• Through his remarkable foresight, intelligence, and natural acumen, he became the Prime Minister of the Magadh Empire in his adolescence.
• He served as a conscientious advisor to both the king and the people, while also leading a virtuous life guided by Jain principles.

Key Incidents and Demonstrations of Abhaykumar's Intelligence:

The comic book then illustrates Abhaykumar's wisdom through several engaging stories:

1. Establishing His Identity:

   • Abhaykumar's classmates taunt him for being "fatherless."
   • His mother, Nanda, explains that his father is a great king, though she doesn't know his name or city, only that he left saying he was the "Gopal of Rajagriha" (keeper of cows, referring to the king) and lived in the tallest white palace with sky-high battlements.
   • Abhaykumar astutely deduces that his father is the King of Rajagriha based on these clues.
   • He plans to meet his father not by direct confrontation, but by creating a situation that would draw the king to him and his mother, ensuring they are brought to the palace with respect.

2. Solving the Village's Impossible Task:

   • Abhaykumar and his mother settle in Nandigram, near Rajagriha.
   • They learn that King Shrenik is angry with the village and has commanded them to bring their sweet water well to Rajagriha, an impossible task.
   • Abhaykumar devises a clever solution: the villagers approach the king and agree to bring the well, but only if the king sends a well from his own city to their village first, so the village well wouldn't feel intimidated by the city's grandeur. King Shrenik is baffled by this clever turn.

3. The Fighting Rooster Challenge:

   • King Shrenik, intrigued by the villagers' wit, tests them further. He orders them to teach a rooster to fight without another rooster present.
   • Abhaykumar instructs the villagers to place a mirror in front of the rooster. The rooster, mistaking its reflection for an opponent, learns to fight.
   • When presented with a real fighting rooster, the trained rooster successfully defeats it, impressing Shrenik.

4. The Sand Rope Challenge:

   • King Shrenik then demands a rope made of sand.
   • Abhaykumar's solution is to request a sample of sand rope from the royal treasury, implying that they will create an identical one. This impossible request is countered by an equally impossible counter-request, stalling the king.

5. Identifying the Spy and the Tangled Fruits:

   • King Shrenik, suspecting an intelligent person is behind these solutions, sends spies to Nandigram.
   • Abhaykumar, recognizing the spies in their disguised rural attire, tests them. He throws seasoned (spiced) jamuns down from a tree. The spies, unfamiliar with this concept, eat them. Abhaykumar's subtle remark about washing them if they are too "hot" reveals their ignorance and confirms they are spies.
   • The spies report back to Shrenik about Abhay, a clever youth who has foiled all his plans.

6. The Ring in the Well Challenge:

   • King Shrenik devises a direct test of Abhaykumar's intelligence: he drops his diamond-studded ring into a deep, dry well and announces that whoever retrieves it without entering the well will be made the Prime Minister.
   • Abhaykumar accepts the challenge. He requests cow dung, throws it at the ring, causing it to stick. He then adds dry grass to the well and sets it alight, drying the dung. Finally, he fills the well with water. The dried dung floats, and Abhay retrieves the ring.

7. Reunion with His Father:

   • Impressed by Abhay's ingenuity, Shrenik summons him. When Shrenik asks who his father is, Abhay repeats the same description he gave his mother.
   • Shrenik recognizes the words he spoke to Nanda and realizes Abhay is his son. He embraces Abhay, and they go to Nandigram to bring Nanda back to the palace.
   • Abhay is married to Mallika, the daughter of Shrenik's sister, and appointed Prime Minister of Rajagriha.

Additional Stories of Abhaykumar's Wisdom:

The comic also includes additional short stories illustrating Abhaykumar's intelligence and his efforts to promote Jain values:

• Two Tola of Meat (on pages 19-22):

  • King Shrenik considers banning meat consumption. His courtiers debate the cheapest and healthiest food. While vegetarian courtiers praise plant-based food, meat-eating courtiers argue for the ease of obtaining meat.
  • Abhaykumar proposes a test. He visits meat-eating courtiers at midnight, claiming the king is gravely ill and needs two tolas of fresh human heart for medicine. He offers them a large sum of gold for this.
  • None of the courtiers are willing to donate their flesh, even for vast wealth. They offer money instead.
  • The next day, Abhay presents the gold offered by the courtiers to the assembly, highlighting that if two tolas of flesh are so precious to them that they'd pay exorbitant amounts, they should understand that meat consumption inflicts immense suffering on living beings.
  • This demonstration leads all the courtiers to renounce meat-eating and hunting.

• The Clever Thief (on pages 23-30):

  • A thief steals fruits from the king's garden despite heavy security.
  • Abhaykumar goes undercover into a nearby settlement (Matang basti) to find the thief.
  • He tells a story of a virtuous woman who, to keep her promise to a gardener, bravely faces thieves and a man-eating demon, maintaining her integrity. The listeners are asked who is the most virtuous among the woman, her husband, the demon, the gardener, and the thieves.
  • The various opinions reveal different perspectives on virtue, but Abhay identifies a man who defended the thieves as the likely culprit.
  • The identified man confesses he stole the fruits using a special power called "Akarshani Vidya" (attraction technique) to fulfill his pregnant wife's craving.
  • When the king wants to execute the thief, Abhay suggests the king first learn the "Akarshani Vidya" from him.
  • The king attempts to learn the mantra but struggles. Abhay subtly guides him to show respect to the teacher by sitting at his feet. This act of humility helps the king learn the mantra, and he releases the thief after bestowing wealth upon him.

• The Butcher Kāla Shaukari (on pages 31-34):

  • Kāla Shaukari, a butcher, kills 500 buffaloes daily. Abhaykumar's efforts to reform him fail.
  • Abhay decides to focus on Kāla Shaukari's son, Sulasa, to break the cycle of violence.
  • Abhay befriends Sulasa, teaches him about compassion, non-violence, and the teachings of Lord Mahavir.
  • Sulasa eventually renounces his father's profession.
  • When Kāla Shaukari falls ill with a painful disease, Abhay advises Sulasa to fill the room with unpleasant sounds (donkey and camel sounds) and foul smells, suggesting this would be more comforting than pleasant ones, implying that the pain is a consequence of his violent deeds.
  • After Kāla Shaukari's death, Sulasa is pressured by relatives to take over the butchery. When he refuses to kill a buffalo, they threaten to share his suffering. Abhay intervenes, and Sulasa, demonstrating his commitment to non-violence, wounds himself, asking them to share his pain, which they cannot.
  • Inspired by Abhay, Sulasa embraces the path of a Shravaka (lay follower of Jainism).

Overall Theme: "Buddhinidhan Abhaykumar" is a collection of stories that showcase Abhaykumar's extraordinary intellect, problem-solving skills, and his unwavering adherence to Jain principles of non-violence, truthfulness, and compassion. The comic serves as an entertaining yet educational medium to convey these values, highlighting how wisdom can be used to achieve justice, promote virtue, and transform individuals and society.