डाकू बचा सूली चढ़ने से

Summary

The story is about a notorious dacoit named Rauhineya in the kingdom of Magadha, ruled by King Bimbisara. Rauhineya was a powerful and clever thief, trained by his father Lauhakshura, who taught him all the tricks of robbery and gave him a final warning: never listen to the teachings of Mahavira Swami, as even a single word would lead to his ruin. Rauhineya followed this advice strictly, terrorizing the rich while helping the poor, which made him popular among the villagers and difficult to catch. He committed many crimes, including kidnapping a merchant’s daughter-in-law and stealing a bridegroom during a wedding procession. The wealthy citizens complained to the king, who scolded his minister, Abhayakumara. The minister promised to capture Rauhineya within five days. Rauhineya, emboldened, decided to rob the royal palace. On his way, he passed by a garden where Mahavira was giving a sermon. Remembering his father’s warning, he immediately plugged his ears. However, a thorn pricked his foot, and in pain, he removed his fingers from his ears to pull out the thorn. At that moment, he heard Mahavira’s words about the characteristics of gods: they do not sweat, their flower garlands never wilt, their feet do not touch the ground, and their eyelids do not blink. Rauhineya quickly plugged his ears again, but the damage was done. He continued to the palace, where he was spotted by guards and captured after a chase. Brought before the king, Rauhineya pretended to be a simple farmer named Durga. The minister, however, devised a plan to make him confess. He treated Rauhineya like a king, plying him with wine and placing him in a room decorated like heaven, with dancers and singers pretending to be gods and goddesses. They told him he was in heaven and asked him to confess his earthly deeds to be anointed as a