Part 7: Story of Meghakumāra

When Śreṇika had finished, having recited this hymn of praise, the Supreme Lord delivered a sermon resembling a shower of nectar. After he had heard the Lord’s sermon Śreṇika adopted right-belief, but Abhayakumāra and others assumed the duties of laymen. At the end of the sermon, bowing to the Lord of the World, King Śreṇika, delighted, went home with his sons delighted by the master’s speech. Prince Meghakumāra, making the aṭjali with respect, declared to Śreṇika and Dhāriṇī in a noble speech:

“I have been guarded and cherished by you both for a long time. Indeed, I was a trouble to you. Nevertheless, I ask this: I am terrified of worldly existence which is burdened with infinite pain. The Arhat himself, the deliverer from worldly existence, is here. So give your permission today for me to become a mendicant now at the feet of Śrī Vīra, the refuge of those who fear worldly existence.” They said: “The vow is not easily kept, certainly. How will you, a delicate youth, do this, prince?”

Megha replied: “Terrified of rebirth, I, though delicate, shall keep the vow, though it is difficult. So, be gracious now. Death cuts down sons, et cetera even from the parents’ laps. I shall cheat death by following the Master.”

Śreṇika said to him: “Even if you are afraid of rebirth, nevertheless, take my kingdom. Delight my eyes.”

Megha said, “Very well,” and the king installed him on the throne; and said to him again and again because he was possessed by joy, “What can I do for you?”

Megha answered: “Father, have brought to me, wishing to take initiation, the broom, bowl, et cetera from some shop.” Bound by his speech, the king did so, though heart-broken. Megha went to the Master and took initiation. At night Megha-kumāra slept on a bed placed in order of seniority and was jostled by the feet of the munis coming and going. He thought: “These jostle me with their feet because I am powerless. Everywhere the powerful must be honored. Tomorrow I shall abandon the vow.” With this thought, he passed the night somehow or other and in the morning went to the Master with the intention of giving up the vow. Knowing his intention by omniscience, the Omniscient said to him:

“Do you, crushed by the burden of self-control, not remember your former births? In the third birth from this, you were an elephant, named Meruprabha, in the country at the foot of Vaitāḍhya. Injured by a forest-fire, you went to a pool to drink. Mired in its mud, helpless, you were beaten by a rival elephant. You died at the end of a week and were born an elephant on Vindhya by that name. When you saw a forest-fire, remembering your former birth, you rooted up trees, et cetera and made three bare places on the river for the protection of your herd.

One day a forest-fire blazed and you ran to the bare places. Two of these bare places were filled with deer, et cetera who had come first. You passed them and went to the third and stayed there. You raised a foot to scratch yourself and a hare, shoved by the crowding of the animals against each other, fell under the raised foot of poor you. You saw the Hare placed that way and, your heart filled with compassion, stood with your foot raised just so, like one wearing a chain because of rutting. After two and half days the fire died down and the animals, the hare and others, went away. You, worn out by hunger and thirst, started for a drink. Because of one foot being weak from being held up so long, you fell on the ground and, helpless from the torture of hunger and thirst, died after three days.

Now you were born a king’s son from the merit acquired by compassion for the hare. Will you pass uselessly this human birth won with difficulty? Then you underwent pain in that way to protect a hare. Now why are you crushed by the discomfort of jostling by the sādhus’ feet? You obtained such fruit from the gift of freedom from fear to one creature, therefore you have well undertaken the gift of freedom from fear to all creatures. Keep your promise; cross the ocean of births; indeed, this human birth, difficult to attain, is adequate for its crossing.”

Meghakumāra became firm in the vow from this speech of the Master. He repented his sin and practiced various penances. After keeping the vow completely he became a god in Vijaya after death. After falling from there and being born in the Videhas, he will attain emancipation.