Neminathas Wedding Renunciation

Dadi**: Guddu beta, have you ever heard a sound that changed how you see the world?

Guddu**: Like what, Dadi?

Dadi**: Tonight's story is about a prince who was about to get married. His name was Neminatha, and on his wedding day, he heard a sound that made him walk away from everything - his bride, his palace, his whole royal life.

Guddu**: What sound? Was it something scary?

Dadi**: It was animals crying, beta. This happened thousands of years ago. Prince Neminatha was the cousin of Lord Krishna himself - yes, that Krishna! And he was engaged to marry the beautiful princess Rajimati.

Guddu**: So it was going to be a happy day?

Dadi**: Everyone thought so! The wedding was the biggest celebration the kingdom had ever seen. The palace was decorated with flowers and lights. Musicians played. Dancers performed. Neminatha's wedding procession was magnificent - elephants, horses, thousands of guests!

Guddu**: Sounds wonderful!

Dadi**: But as the procession moved through the city, Prince Neminatha heard something strange. Above all the music and celebration, he heard... crying. Wailing. Sounds of distress.

Guddu**: Who was crying?

Dadi**: He asked his chariot to stop and went to investigate. What he found broke his heart. In a large stockyard beside the road, hundreds of animals - goats, chickens, buffaloes - were packed together, terrified, crying out.

Guddu**: Why were they there?

Dadi**: They were going to be killed, beta. For the wedding feast. All those animals would die just so the wedding guests could eat meat.

Guddu**: Oh no...

Dadi**: Neminatha stood there, watching. He saw a mother cow calling for her calf. He saw lambs trembling with fear. And something inside him shattered. How could he celebrate his happiest day when so many innocent beings would die for it?

Guddu**: What did he do?

Dadi**: He did something shocking. He ordered all the animals to be released immediately. Then he took off his wedding clothes, right there in the middle of the procession, and announced that he would not get married.

Guddu**: He cancelled his own wedding?!

Dadi**: He didn't just cancel the wedding - he renounced everything. He said, "I cannot marry knowing that hundreds of creatures will be slaughtered for my happiness. If we can kill animals so easily today, tomorrow we might find reasons to kill humans. I will not have this violence on my conscience."

Guddu**: But what about the princess who was waiting for him?

Dadi**: Rajimati was devastated at first. She had been waiting in her wedding finery. All the guests were shocked and embarrassed. But when she heard WHY Neminatha had walked away, something changed in her heart.

Guddu**: What happened?

Dadi**: Instead of being angry, she was inspired. She thought, "This is why I loved him. His heart is so pure that he feels the pain of every living creature." She didn't cry for her lost wedding. Instead, she decided to follow his example.

Guddu**: She gave up being a princess too?

Dadi**: She did, beta. Rajimati became the first disciple of Neminatha. She too renounced palace life and eventually became the head of an order of nuns. They both spent their lives teaching ahimsa - non-violence to all living beings.

Guddu**: Did they ever meet again?

Dadi**: They did. But not as husband and wife. As spiritual companions, teaching the world that all life is sacred. Neminatha became a Tirthankara - one of the great spiritual teachers of Jainism. His message of compassion for animals is still followed today.

Guddu**: Dadi, that's why some people don't eat meat?

Dadi**: For many, yes. The Jains especially try never to harm any living creature - not just animals, but even tiny insects. They sweep the path before they walk so they don't accidentally step on ants.

Guddu**: That's so careful!

Dadi**: It comes from understanding that every creature wants to live, just like you do. The chicken, the goat, the fish - they all feel fear and pain. Neminatha saw that clearly on his wedding day.

Guddu**: I never thought about it that way before.

Dadi**: You don't have to become a monk like Neminatha, beta. But perhaps you can remember his teaching: be gentle with all creatures. If you see something suffering, feel it in your heart. That sensitivity - that's what made Neminatha great.

Guddu**: And Rajimati wasn't even angry that her wedding got cancelled?

Dadi**: Real love understands, beta. She saw that Neminatha wasn't rejecting HER - he was rejecting violence. And she loved him more for it. Their love became something even greater than marriage - it became a shared mission to reduce suffering in the world.

Guddu**: That's a beautiful love story, Dadi. Different, but beautiful.

Dadi**: The most beautiful kind - love that grows bigger than just two people. Goodnight, my compassionate Guddu. May you always hear the cries of those who suffer.

Guddu**: Goodnight, Dadi.