States of
a Digambara
During all his wanderings, Mahavira was moving nude (Digambara
- clothes beings the four directions). The story how he remained nude is
interesting. After he became a recluse and went to forest, one poor
Brahmin approached him, and as Mahavira had given away all his wealth to
the poor before renouncing the world, the Brahmin begged of him something
as he could not receive any donation from him previously. Mahavira told
him that he possessed nothing except a garment which he had put on, and
that he could give a portion of it if he so wanted. The Brahmin knew that
it was a valuable piece of cloth and willingly accepted half of it and
went away satisfied. His tailor, however, told him that the cloth was so
valuable that if he could get the other half, he would stitch both the
pieces into a whole which would fetch a price which was likely to remove
his poverty. The Brahmin thereupon again went to the forest in the chase
of the Lord. While Mahavira was proceeding further, at one place his half
garment got entangled in a thorny shrub making Mahavira's body totally
nude. Mahavira looked back at the entangled cloth but did not turn back to
take it and silently passed on further in his meditative mood. Brahmin who
was following him took away the entangled cloth but thence forward
Mahavira did not cover his body and moved on everywhere in his Digambara
state. His absolute detachment did not admit of any of the earthly
considerations to which ordinary humans like us are adapt.
|
