In the second year of his spiritual quest he shifted from South Vachal to North Vachal. He had chosen the Kankhal Ashram route. On the way some shepherds accosted him to warn, “Holy Swami, you must not take this route.”
“Why dear fellows?” Mahavir asked in surprise. “Doesn’t this route lead to North Vachal?”
“It does Swamiji, but it is not safe,” a shepherd tried to explain, “A little ahead on this route a very horrible snake named Chanda Kaushik lives. Its eyes have a demonic power. Whatever it gazes at with those fiery eyes gets burnt down to ashes. No creature survives its burning eyes. So, you must go by an alternate route.”
“Dear well wishers, there is no place for fear for me from anything, snake or dragon or any beast,” Mahavir revealed and assured them, “You need not worry for me, friends. Go to your homes in peace and let me go on ahead. Fear holds no terror for me. Infact, the fear troubles a person most who runs away from the fear being fearful of it.”
The shepherds looked at one another baffled and stood rooted there watching Mahavir go on that horrific path.
A little distance ahead Mahavir came upon a temple that looked spic and span. The platform infront of it was invitingly clean. He chose that space for his meditation.
Infact, that platform was the playground of Chanda Kaushik snake, the venomous fury.
Mahavir began his complex meditation in the centre of the platform. He was no more using lotus position for his meditation. He stood on his legs in Kayotsarga pose. He was bent with arms hanging down. His hands were touching his knees. The ankles touched each other and the toes maintained a distance of four hand-fingers. His gaze was fixed on the tip of his nose.
He stabilized in that posture and froze into meditative mode.
A short while later Chanda Kaushik arrived on the scene. After a long time he was seeing a human being there in his favourite ground. The meditating human filled him with anger. His entire length twisted in rage.
Chanda Kaushik hissed furiously jetting out a cloud of venom. He thought that his deadly venomous hiss would make that human turn blue instantly and collapse writhing in pain. But nothing like that happened to his great surprise.
It further fuelled his anger.
Now he used his most lethal weapon. His eyes burnt with fury into two red fire balls. And he fixed his gaze on Mahavir who was supposed to turn into a heap of ash instantly. But Mahavir remained completely unaffected. He continued on with his meditation.
In frustrated anger Chanda Kaushik bit Mahavir twice or thrice. First he stung at Mahavir’s left toe, then at his foot and lastly he targetted the throat. Still the bites made no impression on him.
Chanda Kaushik now was a defeated entity. He accepted the defeat. With that his anger seeped away. He coiled up at the feet of Mahavir.
When Mahavir retrieved himself from the meditative mode he found Chanda Kaushik at his feet. He looked at the coiled up snake benevolently. With that the entire venom inside Chanda Kaushik changed into nectar.
The scene was witnessed by the shepherds also who were watching the show hiding up on the trees. They all were amazed at the spiritual power of Mahavir. The shepherds got down and sat infront of him after paying obeisance. The snake sat coiled up nearby. It didn’t show any hostility.
Chanda Kaushik was no more a scourge of the travellers. Kankhal Ashram route was now safe. Mahavir stayed there for a fortnight before resuming his holy journey.
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