King Shrenik And Queen Chelna

Here is a comprehensive summary of the provided Jain text, "King Shrenik and Queen Chelna":

Book Title: King Shrenik and Queen Chelna Author(s): JAINA Education Committee Publisher: JAINA Education Committee

This Jain story, set during the time of Bhagawan Mahavir, recounts the lives and spiritual transformation of King Shrenik of Magadha and Queen Chelna.

Queen Chelna, the beautiful daughter of King Chetak of Vaishali, was first introduced to King Shrenik through a painting. Shrenik was immediately captivated by her beauty and fell in love. Later, when Chelna visited Magadha, she reciprocated his affection, and they were soon married.

Queen Chelna was a devout follower of Jainism. King Shrenik, while known for his generosity and kind heart, was influenced by Buddhism. A point of contention arose from Shrenik's discomfort with his queen's deep devotion to Jain monks. He harbored doubts about Jain monks' adherence to the principles of self-restraint and non-violence, believing their outward equanimity was merely a facade. This caused Chelna considerable distress.

To test the true devotion and self-control of a Jain monk, King Shrenik devised a cruel experiment. While on a hunting trip, he encountered a Jain monk named Yamadhar in deep meditation. Shrenik unleashed his hunting dogs upon the meditating monk. To his surprise, the monk remained undisturbed. Suspecting trickery, Shrenik then began shooting arrows at Yamadhar, all of which miraculously missed their mark. Increasingly agitated, Shrenik resorted to placing a dead snake around the monk's neck before returning to his palace.

Shrenik recounted the entire incident to Queen Chelna. Deeply empathetic towards the monk, Chelna persuaded Shrenik to return to the site of meditation. There, they witnessed the monk enduring the agony of ants and insects crawling over his body due to the dead snake, yet he remained unmoved. The couple was profoundly impressed by the monk's extraordinary capacity for endurance. Chelna gently removed the ants and the snake, tending to the monk's wounds with sandalwood paste.

Upon opening his eyes, Yamadhar blessed both the king and the queen. Notably, the monk displayed no discrimination between Shrenik, who had inflicted suffering, and Chelna, who had provided relief. This demonstration of detachment and equanimity convinced King Shrenik of the genuine nature of Jain monks' devotion and freedom from attachment and aversion. Consequently, King Shrenik, along with Queen Chelna, became devoted followers of Jainism and Bhagawan Mahavir.

The story concludes with a moral lesson: if one cannot achieve the same level of penance and devotion as someone else, they should not doubt that individual's willpower or dedication. Instead, one should show respect, offer service and support, and avoid causing them pain, as such actions contribute to the accumulation of negative karma. The narrative emphasizes the importance of accepting and appreciating the virtues found in others.