Dr. Manju Nahata
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Panel 2 starts with the picture of Mantri Muni in a sitting posture. An orange flag with the digits 5,6,7,8 and 9 as well as with the sun and the moon is seen on his person. The digits denote the fact that he has seen all five Acharyas of the Terapanth sect. The sun and the moon represent time.
Seeing Tulsi’s determination on his vows (cf. panel 1) his guardians at last allowed him to take ‘Diksha’ (i.e. to become muni). Customarily, a Shobha-yatra (procession) is performed a day before the ‘Diksha’ and the boy is, adorned as a bridegroom. ‘Mangal-Prasthana’ is written horizontally in the lower portion of the Panel.
I have shown a tree with new foliage to point out that now Tulsi is going to start a new life. A big boulder on his way suggests that he has to face and overcome many obstacles coming on his way.
In the upper section, Kalugani is showering blessings from his both hands to boy Tulsi and his sister Ladan, when both were undertaking religious observance saying a line ‘Savvam savajjam jogam pachakkhami’ drawn in light green in front of them.
In the middle part, a verse of Kabir explaining the virtues of a Sadhu, is written – ‘Brichha kabhun nahin fal bhakai nadi na sanche nira, parmarath ke karanai sadhun dhara sharira’ (neither a tree eats its fruits nor a river accumulates its water; similarly a Sadhu does good deeds). A fruit tree and a river explained in this verse have been symbolically drawn near the verse. There are two squirrels painted under the banyan tree one is having fruit and the other is climbing up. Muni Tulsi has also got fruit from his efforts and thrived on his mission.
The letter which Kalugani had written expressing his willingness that Tulsi will succeed him is painted verbatim (i.e. word for word) in the mural. Muni Tulsi was surprised to hear this unbelievable announcement for him at this early stage. The joyous slogan ‘Jai Tulsi’ associated with the sacred ‘Om’ is shown to celebrate the auspicious occasion. Now that Tulsi has become an Acharya, I have shown him with the ‘rajoharana’ placed on his left shoulder.
At Tulsi’s foot is shown an elephant with the crescent moon on the head (to be treated here as standing for grossness of human nature). Acharya, who is beyond grossness, must be a role model of self-restraint.
Next, Acharya Tulsi has been shown in meditation for acquiring even more inner strength from his Guru. Symbolically, Samadhi of his guru has been painted close by Tulsi, so as to underscore spiritual proximity between both.
After becoming Acharya, Tulsi’s first Chaturmasa was in ‘Lal Kothari’ of Bikaner whose front door is painted right below in the mural. In his first Chaturmasa, 31 people including his mother, took Diksha. So in a space (coloured in blue and oval in shape) the word ‘Ma’ is written in bright red. Right below it there is a triangle with an inner-eye. The point is: if our inner eye opens only then we can take 5 big vows. These vows are shown by the use of a star with the digit 5 (in Devanagari script). Further, a five-point star, which stands for five senses and a moon (which stands for mind) are drawn to indicate that it is necessary to have full control over the senses and the mind. The vows are: non-violence, truthfulness, non-pilferaging, celibacy, and non-acceptance. These vows, when performed aright, will uplift one. A passing mention is made of another Acharya (shown in the mural) coming from another sect whom Tulsi passed humbly by on his way, ignoring his call, ‘Hato, Hato’ (get out of my way). The panel 2 ends with an impression of Bikaner palace in the horizon.