Mahavir Swami And Cow Herder

Here is a comprehensive summary of the Jain text "Mahavir Swami and the Cow Herder":

The story begins with Lord Mahavir Swami, then Prince Vardhamän, meditating under a large tree. A cow herder, needing to attend to errands, approached Mahavir Swami and asked him to watch over his cows. Mahavir Swami, deeply absorbed in his meditation, did not respond. The cow herder, however, mistakenly believed Mahavir Swami had agreed and left.

Meanwhile, the cows began to stray in search of grass. Upon returning a few hours later, the cow herder found all his cows missing. He confronted Mahavir Swami, demanding to know where his cows were. Still in deep meditation and unresponsive, Mahavir Swami's silence further fueled the herder's frustration. The herder searched extensively but could not locate his cows.

To his astonishment, when the cow herder returned to the meditating Mahavir Swami, all his cows were gathered around him. The herder, believing Mahavir Swami had intentionally hidden his cows, became enraged. He drew out his rope, intending to whip Mahavir Swami.

At this crucial moment, an angel descended from heaven and intercepted the rope. The angel questioned the herder, pointing out that Mahavir Swami was in deep meditation and had not heard him. The herder accused Mahavir Swami of tricking him, but the angel explained that Mahavir Swami was simply meditating and had not interacted with the cows. The angel further revealed Mahavir Swami's former identity as Prince Vardhamän and warned the herder that harming him would result in negative karma.

The cow herder, realizing his mistake, apologized to Mahavir Swami and departed silently. The angel then approached Mahavir Swami and offered his assistance during his arduous spiritual journey. However, Mahavir Swami declined, stating that spiritual progress and attaining omniscience (Keval-jnana) cannot be achieved with the help of others. He emphasized that one must undertake the journey towards omniscience and liberation through personal effort and self-reliance.

The angel returned to heaven, content with having prevented Mahavir Swami's suffering. The story concludes with lessons: Mahavir Swami harbored no ill feelings towards the cow herder, demonstrating his lack of anger. The narrative advises readers against making hasty decisions, urging them to consider all perspectives before acting. It also stresses the importance of forgiveness over anger and highlights that avoiding harm to others prevents the accumulation of negative karma.