Meghkumar

Here's a comprehensive summary of the Jain text "Meghakumär":

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

Summary:

The story of Meghakumär, found within a collection of stories from Bhagawan Mahavir's life, highlights the principles of compassion, karma, and the pursuit of liberation within Jainism.

The narrative begins with King Shrenik of Magadha and his queen, Dhärini. The queen experiences an auspicious dream of a white elephant entering her mouth, which dream interpreters predict signifies the birth of an intelligent and handsome son. During her pregnancy, Queen Dhärini develops an unusual craving to ride an elephant during a rainstorm with colorful lightning, an urge that arises outside the typical monsoon season. To satisfy her, King Shrenik's son, Abhaykumar, enlists the help of a miracle-working friend who orchestrates an event to fulfill the queen's desire.

The queen gives birth to a baby boy, whom they name Meghakumär in honor of the "Megha" (rain) associated with his mother's pregnancy urge. He grows up to be a well-rounded individual, mastering various arts and crafts, marrying, and enjoying worldly pleasures.

Lord Mahavir visits Rajgrihi, the capital of Magadha, and delivers sermons. Meghakumär attends and is deeply affected by the teachings, realizing the transient nature of worldly life and deciding to renounce his worldly life and become a disciple of Lord Mahavir. His parents are saddened but ultimately consent, allowing him to be crowned king for a single day before his renunciation.

As a new monk, Meghakumär experiences significant hardship. He is assigned a sleeping spot near the restrooms, and at night, other monks passing by accidentally trample on his bed and touch him in the darkness due to the lack of lamps. Having grown up in luxury, Meghakumär finds this life of discomfort and dirt unbearable and decides to give up monkhood.

In the morning, he seeks permission from Lord Mahavir to return home. Lord Mahavir, aware of Meghakumär's struggles, recounts his previous life. In that life, Meghakumär was Meruprabha, the king of elephants. During a severe forest fire, he had cleared a large area for animals to seek refuge. When a fire broke out again, and animals gathered in the cleared space, Meruprabha felt an itch and raised his foot. At that precise moment, a rabbit jumped into the space under his foot. Out of immense compassion for the rabbit, Meruprabha held his foot up for two and a half days to prevent crushing it. When the fire ended and he finally lowered his foot, it had become so stiff that he lost his balance, fell, and suffered agonizing pain for three days before dying. His extreme compassion in that life resulted in his rebirth as Prince Meghakumär.

Lord Mahavir explains that if Meghakumär could endure such immense suffering for the sake of a rabbit and attain the precious human life, he should be able to bear the minor discomforts of his current monastic life. He emphasizes that all suffering and happiness are results of one's own karma and are temporary. True, everlasting happiness comes from liberation.

Meghakumär, deeply moved and realizing his mistake, requests to be reinitiated as a monk, having wavered from his vows. He is reinitiated and henceforth known as Meghamuni. He adopts a rigorous ascetic life, fasting for extended periods and dedicating himself to meditation to eradicate his karmas.

When his body weakens and he can no longer maintain the strict austerities, he undertakes a vow of Sanlekhana (fasting unto death). He fasts for a month on Mount Vaibhargiri and, upon his death, is reborn in heaven. The text concludes with Lord Mahavir stating that Meghakumär will eventually be reborn as a human and attain liberation.

The story serves as a powerful illustration of compassion, highlighting how an elephant's immense sacrifice for a small animal led to a higher birth. It encourages humans, as more rational beings, to be helpful to each other. Furthermore, it underscores the commitment required for ascetic life, the temporary nature of worldly pleasures and pains, and the ultimate goal of self-realization and liberation through patience, perseverance, and focusing on the soul, rather than succumbing to past karmic influences or worldly distractions.