online support
There was a clever thief named, Sudatta. Once, he was caught red-handed while stealing. He was brought before the king. The intemperate king rebuked the thief and asked, “Tell me where do you keep the stolen goods”? As he was a thief, he knew all the crooked policy. He thought that if he named some rich person, the king would be pleased on having attained the wealth and I would be free. Hence he spoke, “The stolen material is with Seth Hemadatta.” The king sent for Seth immediately by sending a messenger. No sooner, Seth received the message he visited the palace. On seeing him, the King spoke, ” Bravo! Oh, Seth! I thought you to be religious, but today I have found that your worship, adoration, fast, chastity and donation are all hypocrisy merely. Tell me where have you hidden the stolen wealth.” The Seth was wonderstruck, “O King! What are you telling? I am seeing this person for the first time then how I could know about the stolen wealth.” No sooner the Seth could finish his speech, than the thief spoke in a logical style, “Oh king, be kind to this poor man. Oh Seth, If you do not wish to give the wealth, you may not give. But please do not tell a lie.” The thief spoke in such a style that the King firmly believed in him. He spoke, “So much of atrocity on this poor fellow, in spite of being religious! Throw away this hypocrite into a dark well in the forest.” Seth tried to explain the King but that foolish king did not pay any heed. The King punished Seth without any consideration, but he did not lose his patience. He was completely sure about his religion and he had perfect belief on the prayer of Lord. He remembered the Lord Adinatha the first ford founder with full faith and adoration. He chanted the first and second verses of the Bhaktamara, with all the rituals. Consequently, the Vijaya Deity appeared. She appreciated and praised Seth. She took him out of the black well and got him decorated on the golden throne with garments. She further told,” If you allow me I can give a good punishment to the tyrannical King.” The Seth replied, ” O Goddess! No necessity. What is the fault of the King? This was the fruition of my previously bonded karmas, which I have to endure and not the King. The King is the instrument alone.” As soon as the King knew of the wonderful event, he immediately came there. The Goddess made him ashamed and warned him not to commit any atrocity on the religious in the future without justice.” The King begged pardon again from the Goddess, as well as from the Seth. He took him to the royal palace with great respect and pomp and show. The thief was called, his face blackened. Then he was taken around the city on an ass. He was banished from the land. This severe punishment was awarded to him to give a lesson to the public.
But the Hemdutta prevented the king to do so and asked him to pardon the thief. This was done so as to make them possible to lead the religious life on having seen such wonderful glory of the religion.
The folk present there raised slogans of the victory and longevity of the Seth. “Long”! “Long”!! Live the Seth and “Victory”! “Victory”!! For Jainism.” The king adopted Jainism as a consequence.
