Keshari Kevali Charitram

Here is a comprehensive summary of the Jain text "Keshari Kevali Charitram" by Vardhamanasuri, based on the provided pages:

The book, "Keshari Kevali Charitram" (The Life Story of Keshari the Kevalin), authored by Vardhamanasuri and published by Shravak Hiralal Hansraj in 1929, recounts the life story of Keshari, a notorious thief who ultimately attained omniscience (Keval Gyan). The text is presented in Sanskrit with a Gujarati translation and explanation by Pandit Hiralaal Hansraj.

The narrative begins by defining and emphasizing the importance of Samayika, the first of the six essential daily duties (Shravakachaar) for Jains. Samayika is described as a state of equanimity and stillness in the heart, practiced by those with virtuous thoughts and who abstain from sinful actions. It is considered a "first learning vow" that provides solace from the waves of sin and serves as a platform for practicing the virtues of a monk. It is also likened to the beginning of the pursuit of liberation and a boundless ocean of compassion.

The story then introduces Keshari, a criminal who, despite his cruel nature, is said to break the chains of karma and escape the prison of the cycle of birth and death through the practice of Samayika.

The text then transitions to an illustrative example. It describes a virtuous king named Vijayo who ruled in the city of Kamapur. This king was known for destroying his enemies and was free from the censure of the people. One day, a wealthy merchant named Sinhadatta approached the king and confessed that his son, Keshari, had become addicted to thievery.

The king, angered by this, declared that if Keshari stayed within his kingdom, he would be put to death. Consequently, Keshari was banished from the kingdom. Fearing the king, Keshari fled to another land. While traveling, exhausted, he discovered a beautiful, clear, and cool lake in the forest.

While resting by the lake, Keshari contemplated his past deeds. He regretted that even the pure water of the lake felt tainted because he had never acquired anything through honest means. He felt this was a reversal of fate. Despite his thoughts, he drank the water and bathed in the lake. Feeling refreshed, he climbed a mango tree laden with fruit to satisfy his hunger.

After eating, Keshari felt a sense of arrogance and pondered his idleness. He lamented that his day would pass without any thievery. While he was lost in these thoughts, a Yogi with magical flying sandals (mantra sadhit paduka) descended from the sky near the lake. The Yogi, feeling the heat of the sun, took off his sandals and entered the water.

Keshari, recognizing the potential of the magical sandals, stole them and fled. He flew away using the sandals, leaving the Yogi behind. He traveled through the sky and reached his own home that night. The next day, Keshari went to the king and falsely accused his father, stating that he was the one who had reported him as a thief and caused his banishment. In his rage, Keshari then beat his father severely.

After his father's death, Keshari entered opulent houses and stole valuable items. He returned to the same forest and lake late at night. He continued his wicked ways, frequently visiting the same city to steal and cause distress to the populace, including virtuous monks and women, making his arrival at night as terrifying as the arrival of Yama, the god of death.

The king, upon learning of these events, was distressed. The city guard, with a downcast face, informed the king that someone flying through the sky was causing destruction, and there were no footprints on the ground to identify the thief. The king, filled with anger, vowed to find the thief, attributing their actions to the influence of ascetics and virtuous women.

The king searched every part of the city and its surroundings, including wells and ponds, but found no trace of the thief. Around noon, while the king was in the forest, he smelled the fragrance of camphor and agaru incense. Following the scent, he arrived at a temple of Goddess Chandika, where he saw the goddess adorned with champaka flowers.

The priest of the temple, after extinguishing the incense, approached the king. The king inquired about the festival and who had arranged the worship and provided the fine clothes. The priest explained that Goddess Chandika was pleased with his devotion, and he received jewels and gold at her feet every morning. The priest stated that he worshipped the Goddess three times a day and, through her grace, had become wealthy.

The king, having heard the priest's words, became convinced that the thief would likely appear at the temple again that night. He returned to the temple with a small retinue and waited in disguise. In the middle of the night, Keshari arrived by flying sandals, hidden behind a pillar.

Keshari took the sandals, went into the inner sanctum, and worshipped Goddess Chandika with precious jewels. He prayed to the Goddess for a night that would bring him immense wealth and joy, as he was a wanderer and a thief. As Keshari was leaving, the king, sword in hand, threatened him, saying he would not escape alive.

Keshari, understanding the timing, used the magical sandals as a weapon and threw them at the king's forehead in anger. While the king was recovering from the blow, Keshari proclaimed that he was leaving alive and escaped. The king ordered his soldiers to pursue Keshari. The king himself, after entrusting the magical sandals to his minister, followed his soldiers.

Keshari, having escaped from the soldiers, used various paths to hide his tracks. Feeling a sense of detachment and fear, he reflected on his grave sins. He then heard a Muni (a Jain monk) speaking about the essence of meditation in a nearby grove. The Muni's words explained that just as a house filled with lamps dispels darkness, so too can one achieve equanimity through meditation, and by doing so, people can be freed from sins.

Keshari, deeply moved by the Muni's teachings, stood transfixed, his body filled with awe. He remained in that state, his mind devoid of praise or criticism for the worldly affairs, his cycle of sin broken, and his heart filled with a sense of impartiality.

He stayed in this state of equanimity for the rest of the night and the following day, his mind absorbed in the pure, supreme soul. In the evening, his karmic obstructions were destroyed, and he attained Keval Gyan (omniscience). At that time, the king, still searching for him, arrived at the same spot.

The king, along with his soldiers, rushed to attack Keshari, while celestial beings arrived to honor him, carrying the banner of their vows. Keshari, seated on a golden lotus offered by the gods, was revered by the king and his men. Keshari, with the radiance of his teeth, which shone like the moon, began to deliver a sermon, dispelling the darkness of sin, much like a full moon night.

The king asked Keshari about his past life and how he attained omniscience. Keshari explained that even though he had committed terrible sins from birth, he achieved this state of omniscience and glory through the practice of Samayika, which he learned from the Muni's words, leading to his mind being absorbed in that equanimity. He further explained that karma that cannot be broken even by millions of years of penance can be destroyed in an instant through mental equanimity.

Hearing this, the king, filled with joy, returned to his city, while the great Muni continued to spread his teachings across the earth. The text concludes by emphasizing that Samayika is a practice to be revered by the wise, as it can lead to liberation even for a thief who had committed the sin of patricide and caused suffering to all beings.

The character of Keshari, the thief, serves as a powerful example of how the practice of Samayika can transform even the most sinful individual, leading them to spiritual liberation. The story highlights the profound efficacy of equanimity and the teachings of Jainism in overcoming even the gravest of karmic burdens.