Day 3: Uttam Arjava
Uttam Arjava is the third virtue out of the ten supreme virtues. The word Arjava means straight-forwardness, simplicity, honesty, non-hypocrisy, large-heartedness, and freedom from deceit. If a devotee wants to carry on his life journey in a well-planned,
simple and unhindered manner, it is essential for him/her to give up hypocrisy or crookedness.
Two saints named Gundhar and Vineydhar were staying in a garden. Saint Gundhar performed the penance of self-torture (aatpanadi yog). During the four months of his rainy season (Chaturmas) he used to remain to stand, unmoved at one and the same spot in
a posture of bodily torture. Once, when the prescribed period of Chaturmas was over, the gods worshiped him. The whole sky resounded with the slogan 'Victory! Victory to thee'. The
smell of flowers showered by the gods made the whole surrounding atmosphere fragrant. This news spread in the whole city like a forest fire. The next morning the city people set out
to visit and pay homage to the saint. But by the time the city-dwellers reached the garden, the saint had left the place on the completion of his Chaturmas; and saint Vineydhar had
come there instead and settled there. The city people mistook him for the saint Gundhar who had performed his four months rainy season stay (varshanuyog) there. Worshipping him with
great devotion and respect, and singing hymns and saying prayers they began to adore him, "O Holy Saint! Even long-accumulated sins are washed away on time by seeing a detached saint
like you."
Saint Vineydhar thought that if he disclosed the truth to the people, they would not worship him. Thinking so, concealing the deceitful feeling in his mind, he sat motionless with closed eyes in a posture of deep meditation. Having worshiped him, the
city people left for home. Holy Vineydhar's mind was polluted a bit by deceitfulness. Therefore, after death, he was reborn as a semi-god (Deva). Again, on the completion of his life
period as semi-god, he was born as an elephant named Triloke Mandan. One day Ram was frolicking in the water in the company of Sita. In the meantime, an elephant named Triloke Mandan,
uprooting a pillar reached the city near the same tank where these people were frolicking in the water, and as soon as he saw them he had a recollection of his previous birth (Jati
smaran). Now he began to repent on his deceitful conduct in the previous life.
"Ah! Bharat and I had
performed penance together at the same time. But on account of my deceitful conduct to entertain people's worship and homage, I am born as an elephant." Ultimately, by performing
severe penance in successive births the elephant, Triloke Mandan, later on, attained the superb state of man i.e., godhood.
Thus, even a petty deceitful deed may lead to birth
in an evil state of being. On being reduced to this low state of birth, a creature has to suffer untold types of tortures. One who is deceitful in conduct is fated to be born in an
animal state due to his bondage of Karmas. So every living being should give up deceitful conduct.
(source: jainheritagecenters.com)
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