‘Prajapal’ was the name of the king who ruled over the city of Ujjayani. He was a brave and courageous king who maintained a huge army, artillery and wise and experienced ministers. He was rich, powerful, wise in all aspects; ready to lay his life for the sake of his people. Therefore he was widely respected and obeyed.




The king had a queen ‘SaubhagyaSundari’ and two daughters ‘Sursundari’ and ‘Madan Sundari’/ ‘MainaSundari’. Both his daughters were extremely pretty and as beautiful as a heavenly nymph.

Daughters of King Prajapal
Prajapal sent his elder daughter to the gurukul of a Brahman ‘Shiv Sharma’. She gained proficiency in Vedic texts- Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samveda, Atharvaveda, Markandeya Purana etc. She also learnt various art forms like acting, drama, dance, painting etc. Sursundari was much talented, skillful and an intelligent girl.
Due to her hard luck, she was sent to an unrighteous, iniquitous Brahman teacher who made her well versed in Vedic religion. He taught her that gods would be pleased by the religious sacrifices conducted by priests. Humans and animals are to be killed at the deity’s altar or even burnt alive in the ‘yajnas’ to please Vedic gods in order to be more rich and powerful.

sacrificing buffalow in a 'Vedic Yajna'

Moreover, Shiv Sharma Brahman taught Sursundari that the humans and animals who were burnt in the ‘yajnas’ or killed, die pain-free because they are sacrificed to the chanting of Vedic mantras and therefore they go straight to the heaven. He also taught that bathing in rivers, eating meat and drinking alcohol left at the end of such a ‘yajna’ lets you earn holy virtue, brings peace to the spirit of your ancestors and make you spiritually powerful.
Burning alive a deer in Vedic Yajna

All such ill, violent and evil education was learnt and grasped by heart by Sursundari. She was too proud of her study and learning.
Although her education led to the path of wrong doing, vicious trap of ill deeds and eventual hell but Brahman teacher taught it all in a way that such Vedic education is most pious and virtuous.
After acquiring profound knowledge of “religion of sacrifices”, she became a haughty, offensive, obstinate and unscrupulous princess.
Such is the influence of an evil company. It just produces more demons though having impressive outer beauty.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

14 Heavenly Miracles in 'Samavsharan'

Image
Short description of yet another 14 Atishay created by celestial beings in ' Samavsharan of Arihantas'  is as follows:- Image depicting Samavsharan Exhortation/ Addressing the noble souls through 'Divya Dhwani ' i.e. the divine voice in 'Ardhamagadhi ' language. This Ardhamagadhi is one of the seven forms of Prakrit where Prakrit is one of the most oldest language known in the history of mankind. This 'Divya Dhwani' is a complete healer for all living beings and brings blissfulness and prosperity for those who listen and pay heed to it. All other noble living souls who attend 'Samavsharan' of 'Kevalgyani' leave their birth enemity (Jatigat bair as that of snake and mongoose) and dwell together with utmost friendship.  Trees and Plants blossom altogether with flowers and fruits as if all the weather   conditions prevail at the same time.   The land becomes rich with gemstones.   The sky becomes clear like glass.
Read more

Jambudweep and Ujjayani

Image
Maharaja Shrenik asked ‘Lord Mahavir ’ in the Samavsharan of the “Siddhachakravrat” ; its principles, constituents, its importance, its fundamental essence, why and who practiced it first and its result. Now here comes the tale of ‘ Shripal and Mainasundari’ which 'Lord Mahavir ' told as an answer to the question of Shrenik. Madhya Lok has infinite islands. In the mid of these islands is an isle called Jambudweep (the name Jambudweep has been given to this isle due to the abundance of Jambu trees here). Now at the center of Jambudweep lies the ‘Sumeru Parvat’. To the south of this Parvat exists the ‘Bharat Kshetra’ (the land of Bharat). In this Bahrat Kshetra there was a country called Avanti and therein was a city called ‘Ujjayani’. So going by the Jain cosmology, the city of our story lies somewhere here: Madhya Lok is the Mid level-Home of Humans and animals The city of Ujjayani was vast in size surrounded by deep moat all around it which was filled by f
Read more

Mainasundari

Image
Younger daughter of Prajapal was ‘Mainasundari’ . She was a pure soul, beautiful like a   fairy and well versed in Jain religion. She used to perform rituals to her deity using eight different ingredients namely- Jal (water),Chandan (Sandalwood paste), Akshat(Rice), Pushp (flowers shed by trees or plants on their own and not plucked), Naivaidhya (eatables and sweets like Puranpoli, Ghevar, Laddo etc.), Deep (Diyas), Dhoop (crushed sandalwood),and Phal( fruits: both green and dry). A mixture of all these 7 ingredients becomes Arghy. She got training and education from a Jain Muni Yamdhar who gave her knowledge of peaceful and joyous ‘Jinvani’ . Brief of the Jain ideology which was taught to Mainasundari by Muni Yamdhar has been written here:     1.    Violence, Untruthfulness, Stealing, Characterlessness and excess procurement of material things are five sins.    2.   Abandoning the above five sins is known as observing the five small fasts by the noble souls. These
Read more