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Deadly Torture by Sangam

One day Shraman Mahavir was doing a special one night meditation in the Polash temple in Pedhal garden
outside the Pedhal village. In this practice one makes his body, mind, psyche and soul absolutely still and
tranquil. Observing the high degree of engrossment in meditation, Indra exclaimed, "You are great, Prabhu
Vardhaman! Today you have no equal as an ascetic and serene, brave, and equanimous spiritualist."
Sangam, a god in Indra’s assembly, was peeved at this praise of a moral being. He retorted, "If Devraj
promises not to interfere, I can disturb the concentration of Mahavir. It is a child’s play for me."


Indra remained silent, through unwillingly. Considering it to be affirmative, Sangam, with all his cunning and
power came to Polash temple. One after another he crated twenty almost fatal predicaments to disturb
Mahaveer’s meditation.

He created a terrible sand storm an in no time Mahavir was submerged in a heap of sand. Mahavir, in his
unshakable determination did not even close his eyes. As soon as the storm stopped, arrived a swarm of
ants. Mahaveer’s body was covered with biting and stinging ants, but he remained still. After this,
innumerable mosquitos attacked Mahaveer’s body. After mosquitoes, came an attack by white ants turning
him into a termite-hill. Scorpions crawled over his body and pierced it with poisonous stings. This was
followed by biting mongoose, large cobras, and giant field rats.

After all this, appeared a white elephant that goaded Mahavir with its large pointed tusks. This elephant than lifted Mahavir in its trunks and tossed him up. When Mahavir fell on the ground, it crushed him with its legs. This was followed by an attack by an ominous looking ghost. Then a tiger attacked and gored Mahavir with its sharp talons.

When all these painful afflictions failed to disturb Mahaveer’s meditation, Sangam took a different approach.
He created a realistic illusion of Siddharth and Trishla weeping and wailing profusely. But this too could not

penetrate Mahaveer’s iron resolve. Sangam then lit a fire almost touching Mahaveer’s feet and started
cooking. After this he took the form of a bird catcher and hung a number of cages on Mahavir. The birds
attacked Mahavir with their beaks and talons through the gaps in the cages. Blood oozed from these new
wounds. Then came a storm, torrential rain, and hail-storm. Nothing could disturb the rock hard resolve of
Mahavir.

Now came a giant whirlwind; lifting and swirling everything that came in its path. Mahaveer’s body swirled but his mind remained stable. At last Sangam himself lifted a large mace and hit Mahavir. It was a heavy blow that buried Mahavir in the ground up to his knees but he did not even blink. After all these physical blows, Sangam resorted to a psychological attack. He arrived in his divine form riding a Viman (space vehicle) and said to Mahavir, "Why are you suffering so much and still standing on the earth. Come, I will take you to heaven with this mortal body of yours." Mahavir did not respond.

Lastly Sangam produced sparsely clad fairies who approached Mahavir and undulated their voluptuous
bodies invitingly. He also created an atmosphere conducive to lust. Mahavir never even shifted his icy gaze
and his body remained reactionless.

All these twenty afflictions drained Sangram’s energy and he was tired. On the other hand even after
tolerating these painful tortures Mahavir remained poised in his elevated state of meditation.