King Shrenik's Karma

King Shrenik (Bimbisara) was a devoted follower of Lord Mahavira, but in his earlier years, he had committed grave sins, including locking his own father in prison. He possessed a deeply anxious mind.

One day, he asked Lord Mahavira, 'Lord, because of my past cruelties, where will I be reborn?'

Mahavira, with his omniscient vision, answered honestly, 'O King, you have bound the karma for rebirth in the first hell realm.'

Shrenik was terrified. 'Lord, is there any way I can change this fate? Can I perform any charity, build temples, or do austerities to avoid hell?'

'The karma is bound tightly,' Mahavira said. 'However, I will give you a task. Go to the city and find the poor butcher, Kala. If you can convince him to stop killing animals for just one day, your karma will be altered.'

Shrenik rushed to Kala the butcher and offered him gold, then jewels, and finally half his kingdom, just to put down his knife for one day. But the butcher's mind was so consumed by the habit of violence that he refused, finding joy only in killing.

Shrenik returned defeated. Mahavira explained: 'Karma is not a judge in the sky; it is the momentum of the soul. You cannot buy your way out of the momentum of past actions. You must endure the hell realm.'

'Then what is the use of my devotion to you?' Shrenik wept.

Mahavira smiled gently. 'You cannot change *where* you will go, Shrenik, but because of your devotion and understanding of Dhamma, you will change *how* you experience it. You will go to hell, but your mind will remain in perfect peace, knowing it is just a temporary cleansing. And from there, in a future age, you will rise to become the first Tirthankara of the next cycle (Padmanabha).' Peace returned to the King's heart.