King Megharath

Here is a comprehensive summary of the Jain text "King Megharath":

The story of King Megharath, published by the JAINA Education Committee, illustrates profound principles of bravery, mercy, and self-sacrifice central to Jainism.

The narrative begins with Indra, the king of heavenly gods, praising King Megharath of Earth for his exceptional bravery and compassion before a gathering of demigods. Indra highlighted Megharath's willingness to lay down his own life to protect those seeking refuge. Two skeptical demigods were sent to Earth by Indra to witness this firsthand. Unable to appear in their celestial forms, they transformed into a pigeon and a hawk, respectively.

On Earth, King Megharath was holding court when a pigeon, trembling with fear, flew into the hall and landed on his lap, seeking shelter. At that moment, the hawk appeared and demanded the pigeon, stating it was its food. The king, astonished by the talking bird, refused to surrender the pigeon, offering alternative food. However, the hawk insisted on flesh.

King Megharath, demonstrating immense compassion, declared he would offer his own flesh instead of the pigeon's. When a courtier suggested obtaining meat from a butcher, Megharath explained that doing so would cause another animal's death, which he wished to avoid. He believed his duty was to protect the pigeon without harming any other being. He then took a knife and cut a piece of flesh from his thigh to offer to the hawk.

The hawk then demanded an equal weight of flesh to that of the pigeon. A weighing scale was brought, and the king placed the pigeon on one side and his own flesh on the other. Despite adding more and more of his flesh, the scale still did not balance. Faced with this, the king resolved to offer his entire body. He sat on the scale, ready to sacrifice his life for the insignificant bird.

As King Megharath began to meditate, the pigeon and hawk resumed their divine forms. The demigods bowed to the king, acknowledging his extraordinary bravery and mercy, confirming Indra's praise. They then departed, leaving the court filled with cheers for King Megharath.

The text concludes by stating that King Megharath's soul eventually became the sixteenth Tirthankar, Lord Shantinath. The story serves as a powerful lesson on the duty to protect the less fortunate and the essence of true mercy, which involves not just empathizing with suffering but actively alleviating it, even at the cost of one's own life. A merciful person, it emphasizes, would sacrifice their own existence to save others, rather than harm another for self-preservation.