Rup Arup

Here's a comprehensive summary of the Jain text "Rup Arup" by Mansukhlal T. Mehta, based on the provided pages:

The book excerpt tells the story of King Sanat Kumar, a powerful and beautiful Chakravarti (universal monarch). His extraordinary beauty and strength were so renowned that even Indra, the king of the gods, praised him in the celestial court. This praise sparked a desire in two gods to witness Sanat Kumar's beauty firsthand.

Disguised as old men, the two gods visited Sanat Kumar's palace. They found him preparing for his bath, and upon seeing his radiant and captivating physique, they were astonished, confirming Indra's descriptions. When Sanat Kumar inquired about their visit, the gods revealed their true identity and purpose.

Upon learning that his beauty was so admired that gods themselves descended to witness it, Sanat Kumar became overcome with pride. He boasted about his appearance and invited the gods to return when he was adorned in his royal regalia, seated on his jeweled throne, to truly appreciate his "complete" beauty.

The text then shifts to a philosophical discourse, stating that pride in eight things is unwarranted: noble birth, abundant wealth, excellent lineage, prosperity, strength, the power of austerity, special knowledge, and beautiful form. These are all impermanent and subject to change. Such pride leads to inner deficiencies. The wise do not boast about these fleeting qualities, which are likened to the transient colors of the sunset.

The two gods returned later to find Sanat Kumar on his throne. Using their avadhi-jnana (clairvoyant knowledge), they observed a stark contrast. While Sanat Kumar was preparing for his bath, his body was healthy. However, when seated on the throne, his body was teeming with countless invisible organisms detrimental to health. The text elaborates on the nature of the human body as a collection of matter, inherently prone to decay, change, and the emergence of diseases.

Sanat Kumar, expecting the gods to be awestruck by his adorned appearance, was surprised to see their disappointment. They revealed the alarming state of his body, which had transformed from pristine to being infested with disease-causing agents. To prove the gods' point, Sanat Kumar spat into a spittoon, and the noxious smell was so unbearable that even flies, upon sitting there, died instantly. This realization, coupled with his father's (implied to be the previous king, though the narrative focuses on Sanat Kumar) weakened state (suggested by the spitting), shocked Sanat Kumar. His joy vanished, sleep eluded him, and he felt like a wilting lotus.

This profound experience shattered Sanat Kumar's pride in his beauty, strength, and power. He realized the ephemerality of life, comparing it to a water bubble and worldly pleasures to fleeting sunset hues. He understood that no being is free from the fear of aging and death. Overwhelmed by the contrast between his magnificent empire and his vulnerable physical state, he felt helpless and became apathetic.

Sanat Kumar began contemplating the human attachment to the impermanent and soul-less body, questioning why beings cling to it despite witnessing the aging process. He realized that even celestial bodies like the sun and moon are not static. This realization led to a strong sense of vairagya (detachment) and disgust towards worldly pleasures. The very beauty he was proud of became the cause of his renunciation. He understood that as long as the soul is bound by karma, it must assume a physical form. To break the cycle of birth and death, one must shed the body and attain an incorporeal state, which is achieved through renunciation, austerity, and self-control, not through being a Chakravarti.

With this newfound understanding, Sanat Kumar renounced his vast kingdom and possessions and embraced asceticism (diksha). He recognized that while worldly pursuits diminish human potential, channeling that energy into renunciation, austerity, and self-control can lead to liberation. He began severe penance, subsisting on meager, unpalatable food after fasting. His youthful vigor waned, his body emaciated, and he transformed from a Chakravarti into a Rishi (sage).

Despite his physical deterioration and the onset of numerous diseases, Sanat Kumar's soul became increasingly purified. His attachment to his physical form vanished, replaced by pure self-awareness.

His devotees and family were distressed by his suffering. They sought medical help, but the sage refused all treatment, having taken a vow during his renunciation not to consume any medicine, even for the most severe ailments.

Sunanda, one of his favorite queens, pleaded with him to accept treatment. She reminded him of a time when he had chided her for wearing a garland of flowers, questioning why she would cause pain to flowers for adornment. She now asked him why he was causing pain to himself and his loved ones by refusing treatment.

The sage explained that suffering is the gateway to liberation. While all beings experience suffering, the difference lies in how they endure it. Those who face suffering with equanimity, peace, and composure gain a glimpse of liberation. His penance was not to eliminate suffering but to realize his true self through suffering. Just as gold is purified by fire, one becomes pure and attains the imperishable state through suffering. Enduring suffering with equanimity is the best way to shed karmas. He urged Sunanda to try and understand his perspective, so his suffering would become a cause for her growth, not distress.

Sunanda, confused, interpreted his words as advocating for the suppression of the body to please the soul, questioning the purpose of such mistreatment of the body, which she considered a temple for the soul.

The sage smiled and explained that his goal was to become incorporeal, thus there was no room for attachment to the body. Attachment to the body prevents liberation. While the body can be used for spiritual practice, the soul cannot be used to manage the body. He emphasized that the body is not the self, and its temporary nature, which is evident at death, should be accepted. He saw the body not as his possession but as a caretaker's responsibility for a limited time. He had worn, adorned, and enjoyed countless bodies, but none accompanied him at death, reinforcing the understanding that "I am not the body, and the body is not me." He believed that the ailments of the body, paradoxically, aided him in understanding its illusory nature. Therefore, if he could endure these ailments with peace and equanimity, seeking treatment would be a loss for his soul.

Defeated in argument, Sunanda left in despair. As the sage's physical ailments worsened, his inner peace and happiness grew.

Indra, again praising Sanat Kumar Muni's penance, encouraged the two gods to alleviate his suffering. They returned, this time in the form of Dhanvantari (the divine physician). Shocked by the sage's emaciated state compared to his former majestic form, they offered to treat his diseases. The sage reiterated his vow, but the gods, revealing their true forms, pleaded with him, stating they couldn't bear to see his suffering and wished to do so for their own peace of mind. They claimed to possess miraculous medicines that could restore his health instantly.

The sage, having conquered attachment to his body, calmly explained that since the day they showed him the disease-causing organisms, his attachment to his body had dissolved. He considered their revelation a hidden favor, teaching him that pride in one's own or one's father's physical form leads to suffering. He further stated that for those seeking an incorporeal state, bodily ailments are not obstacles but aids. His pursuit was not to eliminate bodily diseases but to eradicate the "disease of existence" (bhav-rog), which, when destroyed, eliminates the need for a body. He was open to treatment if they possessed a cure for bhav-rog.

The gods humbly admitted they couldn't cure the "disease of existence" even in their own father, but they believed healing his bodily ailments would increase his mental peace and simplify his spiritual practice.

The sage smiled, explaining that it is worldly pleasures and sensory indulgences, not bodily ailments, that hinder spiritual practice. Bodily diseases serve as a reminder of the body's impermanence, which aids, rather than obstructs, spiritual progress.

One god remarked that a magnificent soul should reside in a magnificent body, not a decrepit one, comparing it to a grand idol in a dilapidated temple. The sage laughed, stating that a magnificent idol makes even a dilapidated temple grand, while a broken idol diminishes the grandeur of a magnificent temple. The glory lies in the idol (soul), not the temple (body).

To appease the gods, the sage demonstrated his spiritual powers. Through his intense penance, he had attained various labdhis (supernatural powers). He applied some of his spit to his own finger, which was festering with a leprosy-like ailment. Instantly, the bleeding stopped, and the finger became pure and radiant like gold.

Astonished by his power, the gods bowed in reverence and departed. Sanat Kumar Muni endured the severe and painful diseases of his body with extraordinary peace and equanimity for a full seven hundred years. The text highlights that wise individuals do not develop attachment or aversion to the fruits of their actions (karma) as they arise. Just as iron needs to endure blows to become sharp, the fiery soul endures pain and suffering due to its association with the body. The scriptures identify attachment to the body as a significant cause of suffering.

The story of Sanat Kumar Chakravarti serves as a guiding example for humanity, emphasizing that the true purpose of human life is not to increase worldly attachments but to overcome the "disease of existence". The greatest fulfillment of human life is to progress towards liberation. While most Chakravartis become eligible for hellish realms, Sanat Kumar is an exception, becoming a resident of heaven. The text concludes with profound salutations to this great sage who found the formless within the formed.