Chandakaushika

Here's a comprehensive summary of the Jain text "Chandakaushika" in English:

Book Title: Chandakaushika Author(s): JAINA Education Committee Publisher: JAINA Education Committee

Summary:

The story of "Chandakaushika" recounts an episode from the life of Lord Mahavir when he was an ascetic, practicing severe austerities, fasting, and meditating. He traveled from place to place barefoot, spreading peace and compassion.

On one occasion, Lord Mahavir decided to travel through a forest to reach the village of Vachala. This forest was known to be the dwelling place of Chandakaushika, a highly venomous snake, believed to cause instant death to anyone it looked upon. The villagers living near the forest were terrified of this snake. When they learned of Lord Mahavir's intention to pass through the forest, they urged him to take a longer route, fearing for his safety.

However, Lord Mahavir, being fearless and devoid of hatred towards anyone, did not heed their warnings. He considered fear and aversion as forms of violence and was a proponent of non-violence (ahimsa). His demeanor radiated peace and compassion, and he did not believe there was any reason for the villagers to be alarmed.

Lord Mahavir entered the forest, which appeared desolate and dry, with scorched grass and withered trees, indicating Chandakaushika's presence nearby. Lord Mahavir stopped to meditate. His heart was filled with feelings of peace, compassion, and mercy for all beings.

Chandakaushika sensed someone's presence near its dwelling and emerged from its hole. To its astonishment, it saw a human standing there. Enraged, the snake thought about the audacity of the human entering its territory. Chandakaushika began to hiss aggressively to intimidate Lord Mahavir, unaware of his composure. In its anger, it approached and raised its hood, ready to strike. Seeing that the human was neither scared nor attempting to flee, Chandakaushika became even more furious and bit Lord Mahavir three times with its venomous fangs.

Remarkably, the venom had no effect on Lord Mahavir, nor did it disturb his meditation. Growing more agitated, Chandakaushika then bit his toe. Looking at the human again, Chandakaushika was astounded to find that he was unharmed. Instead of blood, milk began to flow from his toe.

Lord Mahavir, with no fear or anger on his face but with profound compassion, opened his eyes and looked at Chandakaushika. He spoke gently, saying, "O Chandakaushika, be calm, be calm. Understand what you are doing." His words were filled with love and tenderness.

These words had a transformative effect on Chandakaushika. It became calm, and a sense of inner light dawned upon it. The snake suddenly remembered seeing similar ascetics before and realized the truth of life. It recalled the harm caused by its anger and pride in past lives. With immense respect, Chandakaushika bowed its head to Lord Mahavir and peacefully returned to its hole.

When the villagers learned that Chandakaushika was no longer a threat, they curiously came to see it. They found it lying peacefully. Some even offered it milk and food and began to worship it. However, some people whose relatives had been killed by Chandakaushika were still angry and pelted it with stones and sticks. Despite the blood, food, and milk attracting ants, Chandakaushika remained calm and still, without anger.

After a few days, Chandakaushika died. Through its control over its ego and anger, it destroyed its negative karma and attained heaven.

The text concludes by emphasizing that fear, aversion, and ego are forms of violence, not only towards others but also towards oneself. Chandakaushika's past actions of anger and pride were reflected in its current life. Lord Mahavir's imparting of self-knowledge helped Chandakaushika realize its mistakes. It felt remorse for its actions, its negative karma was destroyed, and it ascended to heaven. The lesson to be learned from this story is the importance of abandoning anger, remaining calm, and showing compassion without fear.