BHIMKUMAR

King Narvahan reigned in the city of Kamalpur. His queen’s name was Malti, and his son’s name was Bhimkumar. The prince was well known for his physical vigor. One day, he saw a Muni in the garden and sat down near him. The Muni discovered a qualified soul in the prince and revealed to him the secrets of religion. The prince felt so inspired at this that he took the vows of a Shravak.
One day, a heretical Muni of the Kapalik order came to the prince. He carried some fruits and flowers in his hands. He placed them before the prince and said: “The great do not refuse a seeker. I have come to you with a request. May I hope that you will fulfill it ?”
He continued: “It is twelve years from now as you move back in the past that I started the propitiation of an art. It will reach its completion on the next Chaturdasi (fourteenth day of the fortnight). Now, on that day, I need someone to assist me, and, in my opinion, no one is more competent than you for that purpose. Hence I am here. Will you help me ?” The prince was never afraid of adventures. He agreed.
On the agreed day, he went with him. The minister’s son, who happened to be his friend, tried to prevent him, but the prince could not be dissuaded. With an unsheathed sword in his hand, the prince reached the cremation ground. The Kapalik marked a plot for his use, propitiated a goddess, and extended his hand to catch the prince’s head. The prince, who was very alert, thundered at once: “Stay away and mind your own business. One more step toward me, and your dead body will roll on the ground. You should know for certain that not even the Devs are capable of facing me.”
This upset the Kapalik’s entire plan. So he thought of exerting strength and attacked the prince with an open knife in his hand. The Kapalik shouted: “Prince ! Remember your God ! You didn’t respond to my persuasion, so I must subdue you by force. I must have your head. This is absolutely essential for completion of my propitiation.”
The prince laughed at him without showing any concern. “Fool ! Only the weak have submitted to your threats. The head of a lion is never within the reach of a jackal like you.”
A duel started at once. The prince gave such a severe blow on the heretic’s head that he fell on the ground. The prince was on his neck. Once he thought of severing it, but the next moment he took pity on the poor soul and released him after giving him a good thrashing. Once free, the ungrateful Kapalik caught the prince unaware and hurled him into the sky. The prince was at once held by a Yaksha’s wife, Kamala by name, who was at that moment flying overhead. She liked him very much and brought him straight to her abode on the Vaitadhya hills.
The prince was under a vow of restricted celibacy and did not respond to the lusty overtures of the Yaksha lady. Kamala was a good soul. She appreciated the steadfastness of the prince and praised him eloquently.
When the two were in conversation, the prince heard some musical instruments being played in accompaniment with some chanting. On inquiry, the prince learned that a few Munis were there in the neighborhood. He expressed keenness to see them. As he was escorted there, a demon made a sudden appearance and snatched away the prince’s sword. The prince at once caught him and mounted on his back to bring him down. But the demon had great physical strength. With the prince on his back, he flew in the sky and landed near a temple.
Inside the temple stood the Kapalik, holding a young man by his hair and thundering: “Remember your God. These are your last moments. I shall cut your head off with this sword.” Undaunted by the terrible environment, the youth was heard saying: “I seek refuge with the Jinas, who are free from lust and attachment. Bhimkumar is my savior; I beseech refuge with him, too.” At these words, the Kapalik’s rage reached its peak. He shouted: “Don’t mention his name, you wretch. He is a coward, and you should be ashamed in beseeching refuge with him. Had he been really powerful, he would not have hidden from my gaze.”
Just then the prince made his appearance and said: “You rascal ! Why do you want to kill him ?” When the Kapalik saw Bhimkumar, he released the young man and ran after Bhimkumar. They started a deadly battle between the two. But soon the prince got the upper hand and held the heretic against the ground, telling him: “My dear fellow ! In your life, you have asked many to remember their God. Now it is your turn to do the same. There is no one to save you.”
Just then the goddess whom the Kapalik worshipped, came down from the image, and, addressing the prince, said: “Prince ! I am impressed by your courage. I beseech you to release my devotee. Please spare his life. I am here to give you a boon.”
The prince said: “Goddess ! If you are really pleased with me and desire to give me a boon, then I pray you to desist from this carnage from today on. You should agree that life is dear to everybody. I beseech nothing else.” The goddess agreed and disappeared.
The prince now turned to the young man and was delighted to find that it was the minister’s son. He at once embraced him and said: “My dear friend ! This heretic was no stranger to you. Then how did you step into his trap ?”
The minister’s son answered: “Since you disappeared, we were very anxious. Search was made everywhere and in all directions, but without fruitful result. Then the family deity was propitiated, and we had it from her that you were safe and would soon return home with great laurels. Now, as I was out to hear the talk of the town about you, this scoundrel caught me and brought me here.”
As the two were talking, there appeared a colossal elephant. With its stout trunk, it picked up the two on its back and flew away. The two were placed outside a deserted city, and the elephant disappeared. Leaving the minister’s son outside the city, the prince moved in. There he met a man-lion who had the face of a human being but the body of a lion. He held a man between his teeth, and the man was bitterly weeping. When the prince asked the animal to release the man, the animal said: “I have been very hungry for a long time. After a long gap, I have my food. How can I let it go ?”
The prince said: “It appears to me, my dear fellow, that you have a Vaikriya (fluid) body. I wonder how your body takes a human being as its food !” The man-lion responded: “You are right, Sir. But he is my inveterate enemy from previous life. How do you think I can release him ? I will kill him, and that alone will pacify my anger.”
The prince tried utmost persuasion, but when that failed, he applied force. He rescued the man from the animal’s mouth and stabbed the animal so severely that he fled for his life.
Now, with the same vehemence, he reached the palace. There he was very cordially received by several maids. One produced a jar full of pure water, another washed the prince’s feet, a third offered to take him to bath, a fourth offered him food, and a fifth decorated him in costly robes and ornaments. The prince silently obliged all.
Just then a Dev came, and, on inquiry from the prince, made the following statement: “This city is named Kanakpur, where once reigned king Kanakrath. His priest Sudatt was a fallen man and was very much despised by the residents of this city. Since the priest would not improve, the matter was reported to the king, who severely chastised the priest. Unfortunately, the priest died of depression. That priest is now born as a demon. I am that demon, and sometime earlier, you saw me as a man-lion. The man whom you rescued from my mouth was the king himself. But I congratulate you for your courage. It is I who arranged for your reception at the palace. It is my great power again that has made the residents of this city invisible.”
Just then a Kevali arrived at the city park. The prince, the minister’s son, and the Dev went to him. Even the elephant came there trumpeting wildly and dangling his trunk. The Kevali, who was in the midst of his sermon, changed his topic and said: “This elephant is really a Yaksha who was the grandfather of king Kanakrath. He brought Bhimkumar to this place to rescue his grandson. As Bhimkumar has saved the king, the Yaksha is under a debt of gratitude to him.”
The elephant now changed into a Yaksha and this lent support to the words of the Kevali. The Yaksha then turned to the prince and requested him to return to his city from which he was absent for a long time. His parents were very much in distress ever since his disappearance in the company of the Kapalik. The Yaksha even offered to help him to return.
Then, at the prince’s request, he built an air-chariot on which the prince and the minister’s son mounted. They soon returned to their own city. The king and the queen were very happy to see their lost son. At the right moment, Bhimkumar was placed on the throne, the king abdicating in his favor. Needless to say, Bhimkumar had a glorious reign, and he spent his last days in the holy order of Munis, attaining liberation at death.