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amatha alte influence of the an elephant. I
vicious penance. When Marbhuti, out of love for his brother, went to bring Kamatha back, the wretched fellow hurled a stone slab on his brother Marubhuti; consequently he died then and there and was reborn as an elephant. In the long run the elephant observed Anuvratas under the influence of the preachments of a religious teacher. Meanwhile, the spirit of Kamatha after death was reborn as a dragon and bit the elephant out of ill will of his previous birth. Likewise, up to ten births Kamatha's spirit suffered the many-fold miseries of hell (nark) by nourishing uncalled for enmity with Marubhuti and by bringing tortures on him; but the spirit (Jeeva) of Marubhuti went on forgiving the spirit of Kamatha. Therefore, due to his forgiveness (Kshama) he was blessed to become Lord Parashvnath. In the end the spirit (Jeeva) of Kamatha came to the holy feet of Lord Parashvnath and asked for his forgiveness shedding all his bitterness and ill will towards him.
While describing the virtue of supreme forgiveness, the great poet Reidhu writes: Utam karam tili yeh sari, utam kham jammi dahitari Utam karam ryantriya-dhari, utam kham dugayi duh hari Utam karam gun sehyari, utam khand munhivind payari Utam karam bahuyan chintamani, utam khand sampjan thir mani Utam karam mhnij syal janri, utam khand michhat tamo manri Jahim asmtham dosu khamijayi, jahim asamathahm rn u rusijayi Jahim akosanr vayanr sahijayi, jahim par dos nrjanri bhasijyi Jahim cheyanrgunr chitdharijayi, tahim uttamkaram jjinekehjeyi Iye utam karam juy nrr sur karag nruy kevalnranru lehvithuru Huye siddnrirnjnru bhavduh bhajnru aganriyrisi pundgavjchiru
1. Supreme forgiveness is pertinent in all the three worlds. It helps to sail across the ocean of birth and death; it enables us to be endowed with the three jewels i.e., Right Belief, Right Knowledge and Right Conduct and safeguards us from a miserable plight. 2. Supreme forgiveness contributes to horde of virtues; it is dear to the nude Jain monks. Supreme forgiveness is like the crown jewel (Chintamani) for the learned scholars. Only persons with stable minds can acquire the virtue of supreme forgiveness. 3. Supreme forgiveness is held in high veneration by all great men. Forgiveness works like a dazzling jewel to dispel the darkness of wrong belief. The faults of the helpless persons are pardoned by a forgiver and he does not get enraged with them. Freedom from the growth of evil passions in the mind is forgiveness. 4. The persons, who without finding fault with others bear patiently the harsh words of the rogues, accepting them as the outcome of the evil actions of their previous births. They experience their own celestial virtues and are deeply engrossed in their selfrealization have been termed by Lord Jinendra as gifted with supreme forgiveness.
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