Prince Vardhman was born with a lot of genetic intelligence thanks to Rishabhdev’s blessings. Many knowledges about human life he gained through practical experiences even before his formal education started. Infact he had been teaching lessons to others in compassion, love, mercy, respect, fearlessness and equality through his own acts setting examples.
At the age of 9 years Prince Vardhman was sent to a famous gurukul of that time to receive formal education where most of the princes went to get educated. So Vardhman was one of the crowd.
With in a short time in that school Vardhman revealed his exceptional qualities. The principal of the gurukul took note of him.
The glow on Vardhman’s face amazed him. He asked the concerned teacher, “What dynasty that prince belong to?”
“Sir, that prince is the son of Siddhartha, the king of Kundgram. He is the younger prince. The elder prince Nandivardhan was also educated here, if you can remember,’’ the teacher revealed.
The principal nodded his head and spoke, “Very promising boy, that prince. So he looked to me. What is your evaluation?”
“He is amazingly brilliant. Sometimes he makes me wonder. Whatever subject I teach in the class he appears to know all about it already. It is very uncanny and puzzling for a teacher. He himself says that he knows everything.”
“Is that true?”
“Absolutely true, sir. I have put him to test many a times. I asked him some very difficult questions several times but each time he had the correct answer to even the ones related to subjects or chapters I am yet to teach. Many of his answers are better than what we know as teachers.’’
The principal stared at the teacher.
“I see,” he said and added, “I would like to meet that boy. I have some questions for him. Bring him to my room please. Will you?”
“As you command, sir,” the teacher nodded his head.
The teacher at once contacted his pupil Prince Vardhman and asked him to accompany him. Vardhman followed him obediently. On the way the teacher told the prince where they were going.
In the principal’s room Vardhman paid his respects to the superior teacher.
The principal asked Vardhman and his teacher to sit on the mats meant for the visitors. The principal sat facing them on his special mat.
“Prince Vardhman?” the principal asked.
“Right here sir,” Vardhman replied and added, “But I would prefer to be addressed ‘Vardhman’ only, sir, because I am here as a student only. And not in my royal capacity.”
“Very appropriate thought,” the principal nodded his head and spoke, “I respect your sentiment. I see that you are very intelligent and thoughtful.”
“Sir, whatever. I am a learner here.”
“Son Vardhman! I want to ask you some questions. Are you ready for it?” the principal came to the point.
“Sir, is it some kind of test? If it is then I am ready but…”.
“But what?”
Vardhman said, “But sir if you want to engage me in some academic debate I beg to be excused.”
The principal looked thoughtfully at Vardhman and acknowledged silently the maturity of the young boy. With a patronising smile he spoke, “Son, I won’t drag you in any debate. It will be merely an exchange between the teacher and his pupil. As you know well that not being your immediate teacher I don’t get chance to interact with you. It is my normal duty to assess the capacity of every student in respect of his own potential and receptiveness.”
“Very well, sir. Please go ahead.”
“What are you, son?” the principal shot his first question.
“The same as you, sir,” Vardhman replied without getting flustered.
“What is the difference between you and me in the basic sense?”
“Karma. Nothing else.”
“If my karma becomes like your karma and vice-versa, will ‘I’ become ‘You’ and the opposite in the latter case?”
“Theoretically possible, sir,” Vardhman spoke raising his hand and added, “But on the practical level it can never happen. It is impossible.”
“Why impossible, son?”
“No two creatures can have similar karma. If by some incredible coincidence karmas of one life happen to be similar that does not make a big difference. Because one’s karma is sum total of the lot of carried forward karmas of previous lives. Infact the karma difference is a person’s identity. Equation of karmas will destroy the individual identities. That is my firm belief.’’
“Son, the mention of life brings to the subject of birth and death. Can you explain the truth behind these two inevitables?”
“I can, sir.”
“Please explain.”
“Principal sir! Attachment to worldly acts is ‘birth or life’. Bad acts result in ‘death’ being meted out as punishment.”
“How do you know so many spiritual facts?”
“It is the essence of karma of all previous lives.’’
“Humm,’’ the principal mulled over what Vardhman had said for sometime before speaking again, “Son, please explain life and death a bit more clearly.”
“In a life when one gets detached from all the desires and attachments as a result of having fulfilled all the fancies or through enlightenment, one gets liberated from the life-death cycles. That is also known as attaining the state of Nirvana or Moksha.’’
“That is enough son,” the principal spoke and raised his hand to announce, “I don’t want to know anything more. Now I know that you posses deep knowledge of all that matters. Our teachers in this gurukul have nothing to teach you that you don’t know. Infact you are capable of imparting knowledge to them. You are most welcome here but not as a learner. You can start teaching as one of our teachers.”
Thus, Vardhman got released from the gurukul even before becoming a student fully.
Prince Vardhman returned to the palace life and started living like other royal persons. But his spiritual wisdom set him apart from the rest. He was a gem in the heap of pebbles.
Then, one day a strange thing occurred.
On that day two of Lord Parshvanath’s disciples arrived in Kundgram. One of them was called Sanjay and the other Vijay. The two were Charan munis supposed to be having powers to fly through the air. They had gained many other para-powers besides having deep knowledge of spiritual and godly matters.
The two had an argument over some matter. A long debate failed to resolve the issue. They had come to Kundgram in an agitated mood because the matter of discord was troubling their minds. They badly needed someone to settle the issue.
The munis happened to visit the palace of the king Siddhartha where the two came face to face with Vardhman. They saw extraordinary light of wisdom inside him.
To their utter surprise Vardhman resolved the issue that was troubling them. He infact solved their problem to their satisfaction. The munis realised the reality of Vardhman being an incarnation. They humbly paid obeisance to Vardhman and addressed him as ‘Sanmati’ which laterally meant ‘wise counsel’.
In that young age itself Vardhman appeared to move away from the royal life of luxuries. He had begun to preach spiritual knowledge to the others. His discourses were becoming popular because they contained the light of spiritual wisdom. Even scholars and priests would arrive to listen to him. The depth of the knowledge of Vardhman surprised everyone. He would talk like a person who had the experience of thousands of years.
