Abhayakumar was the Prince of Magadh. Once upon a time, he received a present from a prince hailing from a non- Aryan country. Hence, the Prince of Magadh sent an image of Lord Rishabhdeo to him in return.

The recipient prince whose name was Ardrakumar began to examine the present. He could not understand what to do with it. He wondered whether it was a kind of ornament to be worn on his body. And, if so, what part of the body could be adorned by it? While thinking thus, he stared at the image and a sudden thought flashed in his mind. He realized that his inner being was in unison with the image, and he felt very happy.

This experience left him agitated, and, therefore, he decided to visit India, the land of the Aryans, and to embrace monkhood. But his visit required permission from the king who was also his father.

It was easy to go to India by the sea-route; but, the sea voyage needed the king’s permission. He was, however, not allowed to leave by sea. Hence, he decided to travel by land, even though it was a difficult route.

When Ardrakumar proceeded to travel by road he was prevented from going further by the cavalry of the king. He wondered why he was being obstructed.

Time rolled on. He set out many a times on his horse, but soon came back. The people thought that the Prince was not keen on becoming a monk. So they became lax in their vigilance. One day, he stealthily set out on his sojourn to India, and succeeded in reaching Vasantpur. Here he found the daughter of the Nagarsheth playing with her friends in the garden.

It was the rainy season. Dark, water-laden clouds had gathered in the sky. Their darkness was reflected in her eyes and the darkness if the girl seemed to match the weather. She and her companions began to play a game of choosing things. Some of them chose a creeper; others chose green vegetation, while the heroine of this story chose Ardrakumar, whereupon Ardrakumar was freed from his dreamworld. He gazed at her mutely, and left the place. But no one prevented him from departing.

The girl gradually grew up and her family approached her with a proposal for marriage. She went to her father and warned him not to betroth her to anyone as she was already married for all intents and purposes. But her father laughed at her assertions. She averred that Arjun girls did not re-marry.

Her father, therefore, was puzzled. “How can I find out that Sadhu?” he wondered. “Would he marry her and accept worldly life again?”

Finding her father deeply anxious, she advised him not to worry, but to open an inn (Serai). She said “I have marked lotus-signs on his soles while choosing him. I shall, therefore, be able to recognize him when he comes here.”

Her father then opened an inn. After some time Ardrakumar put up at that inn. She saw the signs and cried out “Well! I have found him now!’

Hearing these words, Ardrakumar was stunned. He had, however, forgotten the girl and her choice. But, soon, the garden-incident flashed in his mind. All his dreams about monkhood evaporated and he yearned for her, and took her as his wife.

After a few years, he found that this world was meaningless for him and yet he could not give up his wife.

When she came to know that her husband was desirous of leaving her, she took to spinning yarn on a spinning – while. Seeing his mother spinning, her little son asked her. “Why do you spin, mother?”  “Since your father is leaving us, this is the only means of our support”, she said. Hearing this, the little boy said, “Mother, don’t worry. I shall keep him with this yarn, however weak it may be “. And indeed that is what happened.

Ardrakumar could not loosen himself from filial bonds. Hence, he decided to be with family for twelve years more.

After this period he left the home, as a serpent sloughs off his skins. Now he was on his path of renunciation. As he reached the city of Rajgirhi he found a band of Sadhus coming towards him. He also saw that an elephant had loosened its chain and was running towards him. Everyone thought that Ardrakumar would be crushed. But lo! The elephant bowed at the feet of this monk and then dashed into the forest.

When king Shrenik heard this news, he left his palace and went to the monk. He wondered why the elephant had spared the monk. Then Ardrakumar narrated with a smile what had happened in the past and said, “Man is free from times immemorial. He is, however, bound in fetters as long as he feels so mentally. This is the bond of tender yarn of this world. The elephant finding me free this worldly bond spared me and went into the forest where there is unlimited freedom.”

Moral: – Freedom and Bondage is a state of mind.