Part 1: Story of Rauhiṇeya

Then the Blessed Vīra, inspired by a desire to benefit humanity, wandered through hamlets, towns, mines, capital villages, et cetera. At this time there was a thief, named Lohakhura, living in a cave in Mt. Vaibhāra near Rājagṛha, like the sentiment Fury personified. During the festivals and similar functions on the part of the citizens of Rājagṛha, he frequently seized the opportunity to commit outrages like a demon; and in consequence of carrying away property and enjoying other men’s wives, he looked upon the city as a treasury, or indeed, his own house. Theft only, no other occupation, was a pleasure to him. Demons are pleased with no other food but flesh.

By his wife Rohiṇī, he had a son Rauhiṇeya who resembled him in person and character. When the father’s death was near at hand, he summoned his son and said, “I shall give you some advice, if you will be sure to follow it.” “Most certainly I shall follow your advice. Who on earth would disregard a father’s teaching?” Rauhiṇeya replied. Then, delighted by this speech, the thief Lohakhura, caressing his son, spoke solemnly as follows: “Do not listen to the speech of that Vīra who preaches inside a samavasaraṇa built by the gods; but rather, son, do as you please, without restraint.” After he had given this advice, Lohakhura died.

Rauhiṇeya attended to the funeral ceremonies of his father, and then practiced theft unceasingly, as if a second Lohakhura had appeared. He guarded his father’s advice, as if it were his very life and robbed the city Rājagṛha, as if it were his own slave.

At that time, as he was wandering gradually through towns, villages, and mines, Vīra, the last Tīrthaṅkara, surrounded by fourteen thousand great ascetics, setting his feet on beautiful golden lotuses put in motion by the gods, came there (to Rājagṛha); and for the Lord Jina the gods, the Vaimānikas, the Jyotiṣikas, the Asuras, the Vyantaras, made a samavasaraṇa, where the Blessed Vīra gave religious instruction in a speech adapted to every dialect and extending for a yojana.

Then Rauhiṇeya too, as he was on his way to Rājagṛha, arrived in the vicinity of the assembly-hall which was on the way and meditated to this effect: “If I go by that road, I shall hear Vīra’s discourse and my father’s command will be broken. Yet there is no other road; so be it.” With this reflection, he covered his ears with his hands, and quickly went on to Rājagṛha. As he came and went every day in this manner, one day near the samavasaraṇa a thorn was broken off in his foot; and because of the pain in walking, he was not able to take a step without extracting the thorn imbedded in his foot. Thinking, “There is no other way,” he took his hand from his ear. While he was extracting the thorn, he heard the voice of the Teacher of the World. “The gods do not touch the earth with their feet, their eyes are unwinking, their wreaths are unwithered, their bodies are free from perspiration and dust.” “Alas! I have heard a great deal!” Quickly he pulled out the thorn, covered his ear with his hand, and departed in that manner.

Now, as the city was robbed daily by this thief, the leading merchants went to Śreṇika and announced: “While you are ruling, Your Majesty, we have no other fear; but, on the other hand, our property is seized and carried away by thieves who are not seen, as if by slaves.” The king indeed sympathized with them just as if they had been his relatives, and spoke with a burst of anger to the chief of police: “Do you take pay from me, having turned thief, or having become a sharer, since these men are robbed by thieves, whom you ignore?” He replied: “Your Majesty, a certain thief, named Rauhiṇeya, robs the citizens. He can not be caught, even when seen. He jumps from house to house like a monkey, and then easily gets over the wall with a leap like lightning. While we follow his track by the road, he disappears. Verily, lost by one step, he is lost by a hundred. I can neither kill nor catch this thief. Therefore, Your Majesty, take charge of this police-business of yours.”

Then the king, by raising an eyebrow, indicated to the minister Abhayakumāra that he was to speak, and he said to the policeman: “Equip a force consisting of the four branches,^[1] and station it outside the city. When the thief goes inside, then surround the city. After he has been frightened inside, he will take the lightning-like jump and fall into the hands of the army outside, like a deer into a net. Led here by his own feet, as if by witnesses, the great thief must be captured by vigilant soldiers.” The chief of police received instructions to this effect and went away. Being clever, he secretly armed the force and placed it as he had been told.

On that day, Rauhiṇeya came from another village and unknowingly entered the surrounded city, like an elephant an elephant-trap. The chief of police led the thief, captured and bound by these means, to the king and handed him over. “Just as the good deserve proper protection, so the wicked deserve punishment. Therefore, let him be punished.” The king gave such orders. Then Abhaya said: “Verily, as he was caught without any stolen property, he docs not deserve punishment. After an investigation, he must be punished.” Thereupon the king questioned him: “Where do you come from? What is your occupation? For what reason have you come here? Are you Rauhiṇeya?”

Terrified at hearing his own name, he said to the king: “I am Durgacaṇḍa, a householder in Śāligrāma. I came here on a matter of business, and my curiosity having been aroused, I stayed in a temple until late at night. As I was going to my own house, I was challenged by guards like demons, and jumped the wall. Verily, fear of one’s life is a great fear. After I had escaped the guards in the city, I fell among the troops of guards outside, like a fish dropped by the hand of the fisherman into a net. Now, although innocent, I am led here by them, having bound me like a thief. Thou essence of nīti, consider.”

Then the king sent him to prison, and at once sent a man to the village to make enquiries regarding his character. In the beginning (before this), the thief had forced the village to make an agreement. Even some thieves have amazing forethought for the future. When the village was questioned by the king’s man in regard to his true character, the people said: “Durgacaṇḍa was a resident here, but has gone to another village.” When this was reported by the man who had gone there, the son of Śreṇika thought, “Alas, even Brahmā does not penetrate well-planned deceit.”

Next, Abhaya prepared a seven-storied palace, ornamented with precious jewels, like unto a palace of the gods. Adorned with charming young women equal to Apsarases in beauty, it was looked upon as a piece of Amarāvatī that had fallen from the sky. A great festival with a concert rendered by a troupe of singers produced at once the magnificence of a real Gandharva city. Then Abhaya intoxicated the thief with wine, clothed him in fine apparel, and laid him on a couch. When he arose, the intoxication having passed away, he perceived immediately a divine splendor, unprecedented and amazing.

Just then, groups of men and women, in accordance with Abhaya’s instructions, said to him: “Hail! O Delight of the World,” and other auspicious things. “In this great palace you have now become a god. You have become our master; we are your slaves. Sport with these Apsarases at

your pleasure, like Indra.” They addressed him agreeably and coaxingly with this introductory speech. “Have I become a god?” While the thief reflected thus, they clapped their hands for a concert. At that point, a certain man carrying a gold scepter approached and abruptly demanded, “What is this, sirs! that you have started in this way?” They replied: “Doorkeeper, we have undertaken this to show our cleverness and accomplishments to our lord.” He (the doorkeeper) said: “Show your accomplishments to your lord; but nevertheless, have him carry out the customs of heaven.” “What custom?” When the man heard this, he said angrily: “Have you forgotten even this? Whoever originates here as a god, relates his own former actions, good and bad; then he may share the joys of heaven.” “In the excitement of acquiring a lord, we forgot all this. Favor us. Have the god carry out the practice of heaven,” they said. The doorkeeper said to Rauhiṇeya, “Come, tell us your former deeds, good and bad; then later enjoy the delights of heaven.”

Then the thief thought: “Is such a thing true, or is it a trick planned by Abhaya to test me? How can I determine this?” As he was reflecting thus, he remembered the speech of the Jina that he heard when he extracted the thorn. “If the true nature of the gods as described by Vīra fits (them), I shall tell the truth; if not, I shall answer falsely.” Reflecting thus, he deliberately observed them as they touched the surface of the earth, impure from perspiration, with withered wreaths and winking eyes. Having detected the whole trick, the thief considered a reply.

The doorkeeper said, “Please tell the story to all these gods eager (to hear it).” Rauhiṇeya then related: “In a former incarnation I gave gifts to worthy persons, and founded temples; I set up idols and worshipped them with eightfold worship;^[2] I performed pilgrimages and honored gurus. I practiced the conduct of the good, such as these things mentioned.” After he had related this, he was commanded by the scepter-bearer, “Tell your bad deeds, also.” “As the result of association with ascetics, I have never done anything wicked,” Rauhiṇeya replied. The doorkeeper said, “A life passes according to several natures; so confess theft, adultery, and other things.” “Would anyone guilty of such conduct reach heaven? Does a blind man climb a mountain?” answered Rauhiṇeya. They went and reported all this to Abhaya, and Abhaya reported to King Śreṇika. “By such means it is not possible to determine who is a thief. Even if he is a thief, he must be released. The law can not be broken.” So on the advice of the king, Abhaya released Rauhiṇeya. Sometimes even the wise are deceived by those clever in deceit.

Then the thief reflected: “Shame upon the teaching of my father, by which for too long a time I have been defrauded of the nectar of the speech of the Jina. If the speech of the Lord had not entered the hollow of my ear, then I would have entered the realm of Yama as the result of many beatings. Verily, a cure of making me live—as if I had been a sick man—was produced, when I heard the speech of the Jina, even though by accident. Alas! I ignored the word of the Arhat, and took delight in the word of a thief for a long time. I cast aside mangoes for nimbas,^[3] like a crow. If a part of his instruction bears such fruit, what will his teaching, regarded in its entirety, accomplish?” Reflecting thus, Rauhiṇeya entered the presence of the Jina, bowed with reverence at his feet and made confession:

“In the ocean of worldly existence of living creatures, an ocean filled with crocodiles in the form of terrible calamities, your speech extending for a yojana is a big ship. I was prevented from hearing your words for so long a time, and was deceived by my father, who was not a friend (to me), (though) thinking himself a friend, O Teacher of the Three Worlds. Protector of the Three Worlds, they are blessed who always as believers drink the nectar of your speech with the cups of their ears; but I, wicked, inattentive to your speech, O Blessed One, covered my ears and passed this place, alas! On one occasion, I heard one speech of yours, though unintentionally; by it, as if by a magic syllable, I was saved from a Rākṣasa of a king. As I was saved from death, so, Lord, save me drowning in a whirlpool of the ocean of saṃsāra, Lord of the World!” Then out of pity for him the Master gave him pure instruction in the duty of a sādhu, which furnishes access to emancipation.

After he was enlightened, Rauhiṇeya made obeisance, and spoke as follows, “Lord, please decide whether or not I am suitable for the duties of an ascetic.” On being told, “You are suitable,” he said, “Lord, I am going to take the vow, but (first), I want to tell Śreṇika something.” “Say what you have to say, without fear or hesitation.” Addressed thus by King Śreṇika, the son of Lohakhura said: “Your Majesty, I whom you hear here am that Rauhiṇeya, the robber of your town, in accordance with the popular report. By one speech of the Jina, the cleverness of Abhayakumāra, hard to cross, was crossed by me like a river by a boat. I robbed this whole city of yours; it is not necessary to look for any other thief, O Royal Sun! Send some one so that I can show the plunder. Then I shall make my life fruitful by wandering as a mendicant.”

At the command of Śreṇika, Abhaya himself rose and went with the thief, and the people of the town went along out of curiosity. Then the thief showed Śreṇika's son the treasure concealed in mountains, rivers, bowers, cemeteries, and other places; and Abhaya distributed the treasure—to everyone what belonged to him. There is no other course of conduct for ministers who know nīti, and are not avaricious. After he had told the whole truth and enlightened his own people, Rauhiṇeya, believing, attached himself to the Jina. Then King Śreṇika, performed the ceremony of going out (into homelessness), and Rauhiṇeya took the vow of mendicancy at the feet of Śrī Vīra. Beginning with a one-day fast, for six months he performed wonderful penance for the destruction of karma. Emaciated by penance and having accomplished complete destruction of the passions,^[4] he bade farewell to Śrī Vīra and performed pādapopagama^[5] on the mountain. With pure meditation, remembering the namaskriyā^[6] to the five spiritual dignitaries, Muni Rauhiṇeya abandoned his body and went to heaven.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Elephants, horses, chariots, men.

[2]:

Water, sandal, flowers, incense, lamp of ghî, rice, sweetmeats, fresh fruit. See II, n. 411.

[3]:

The mango is the choicest fruit in India; the nimba is very bitter.

[4]:

Bhāvasaṃlekhanā. See I, p. 357.

[5]:

One of the 17 kinds of death and one of the 3 by fasting. The person remains motionless like a tree, falls like a tree. For a full discussion, see I, n. 126.

[6]:

The formula of homage to the Five: Homage to the Arhats, Siddhas, ācāryas, teachers, and all the sādhus in the world. I, n. 71.