Dharmopari Dharmraja
Religion is the only inexhaustible treasure of pleasure and wealth. Religion is good for oneself and others even in the next world. Who would decrease the respect for the religion after having heard the life story of Dharmraja ?
In the city Sarvamangala there lived a king named Bhadrasekhara, the tormenter of all the enemies.
Once when the king was sitting with his family in the royal assembly, an astrologer knowing the past, present and future, came there.
He took his seat as shown by the king and raising his hand blessed all.
The king asked, “Your Hainess, How is the future ?” Then he said, “O King, do not ask it now.”
The king asked specifically ,”Will there be any natural calamity ?” Then the astrologer said,” Yes, there will be a twelve year long famine.”
On hearing the words like an untimely fall of a thunder bolt, the king being dejected said, “His
Holiness, please calculate properly before you speak out.”
The astrologer spoke in the presence of all the members of the assembly, “If my words turn out to be take you may cut my tongue.”
On hearing his firm promise the king kept him somewhere in his capital and he was not allowed to go anywhere.
Due to respect for everyone all the people went even abroad and hoarded grains taking the need of family in notice.
And all the people did not care for their own wealth and began to hoard grains because the human life can be sustained only through grains.
Then the summer elapsed and the monsoon started. All the people began to stare at the sky in hope of water but the cloud, did not shower rain.
The people got frightened with the idea of famine, because the set up of the religious rites depend upon the fine time.
When on the second day of the first half of the month of Sravana there appeared a cloud in the north all the people stood before it.
People began to play instruments. They also began to sing and dance. At the same time as if drawn by the luck of the people the cloud rained.
The king said to the foreteller, “This time your prophesy has come untrue. I shall cut up the tongue of a prattler.”
“O King ! please wait till some learned monk – Muni meets and will decide after debate and discussion. If my prophesy is proved false you may cut my tongue.
Farmers having been pleased began farming. As the religious people sow the seeds of religion in the hearts of the deserving, the farmers began to sow the seeds in the fields.
That year in comparison to the past years crops were produced double. The ruler and the citizens, both were rich in crop.
Once, after the month of Karttika was over, during the winter, some learned preceptors came over there.
The ruler with the subjects and the foreteller went to salute preceptors. There the king asked the reason of the foreteller’s false prophesy.
The preceptors said,”O, King, there live a merchant named Dhanadatta and his wife named Dhanesvari in your city. They gave birth to a son pleasing all and by his glory it has rained for the joy of the people like you.
This one in his birth, was very poor living somewhere by begging previous. Once on seeing a monk- he was pleased and bowed to him.
“Of Course, you do not have any wealth, so you take some vows”. This the monk said to him. Then he took some vows like bowing to the god and gradually by luck he became wealthy.
Remembering his earlier condition he set up centres for free food and water to remedy people’s hunger and thirst.
Being wealthy, he satisfied lacs of people from the poorest to the richest, including thousands
of monks.
He continued the meritorious act of alms giving constantly, so in this birth, he became the supporter of all the beings.
If this child would not have been born it would have been a famine. In other places also this year there were less the clouds.
“So this foreteller is right. Do not insult him” on hearing this, the king was surprised and after bowing to the holy monks he went home.
The king asked to bring the child and declared him as a king, because the wise never hesitate
in the appropriate behavior.
According to the law-books, “he on whose support the people to live happily and prosperously
is rightly defined as a King”.
Brilliant like the rising sun he was named Dharmaraja by the King and the people.
Wherever he ruled there was no famine. He used to carn gold by selling grains in other countries.
Thus the pious king Dharamraja worshipping Lord Jinesvara for a long time, got initiated and attained the bliss.