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forbearance. If someone inflicts pain to a person practicing forbearance, in the end he suffers defeat.
A wealthy person named Daya Chand used to live in Ujjain City. He was forbearing, benevolent and a very light hearted man. His wife was named Akshama, but she was Akshama by name only. There was not even a bit of forbearance (Kshama) in her heart. In truth, she was a highly callous and ill-tempered lady. Right from dawn to dusk it was her inevitable routine to quarrel with every member of her family. She used to speak ill of her parent-in-laws in presence of her husband Daya Chand, and would say, "I will not live with your mother as she abuses and insults me." Addressing her the learned and well bread Daya Chand said, "My parents are your parents as well; serving them is your uppermost duty. The anger of elderly persons subsides on remaining humble. All become subordinate to a humble person. Everyone can be overpowered through forbearance (Kshama) and politeness. Therefore, be forgiving and justify your name Akshama." On hearing these words of advice from her husband, the fire of anger of Akshma got all the more inflamed. She started hurling filthy abuses on her husband too. But the forgiving Seth did not utter a single word. At mid-day when Seth Daya Chand came home for meals, his wife started murmuring in anger. Daya Chand took meals calmly and then set out for his shop. As soon as he came down from his house and began to walk on the road, the wife Sethani threw garbage over him from above. Going upstairs, the Seth said to his wife with usual smile, "Oh, dear! Daily you simply thundered but today you have rained as well." Seeing the calm and quiet nature of her husband, her anger vanished and lying down at his feet she apologized for her fault. This example shows that an angry person can be made calm, polite and full of reverence only by the weapon of forgiveness (Kshama). Therefore, one is duty bound, to try to befriend an angry man or an enemy with love rather than being angry on him.
The ornament of a man is his nature; the ornament of nature is virtue; the ornament of virtue is knowledge, the ornament of knowledge is forgiveness (Kshama). It has been said,
Narasyabharan rupam, rupasyabharan guna, Gunrsyabharan gyanam, gyanasyabharan Kshama
Whenever the saints endowed with forbearance perform repentance (pratikraman) and meditation (Samayika), they read the following couplet:
Khamami savjivarnam, save jiva khamantu me miti me sav bhuteshu, veram majham rn kernvi
The saints beg pardon of all living beings right from the one sensed (Aikendriya) i.e. having only one sense of touch, to the five sensed beings (Panchindriya), and pray, "All living beings may forgive me; I should cherish friendly feelings for all; I bear no ill-will for anyone." The example of Kamatha and Marubhuti is well known in this context.
Kamatha and Marabhuti both were brothers. One day Kamatha had sexual intercourse with Marubhuti's wife in his absence. As a result the king exiled Kamatha from his Kingdom. Kamatha reached the hermitage of a sinful ascetic and started performing
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