Two Prakrit Versions of Manipati Charitra

SR No.: 007017
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: R Williams
Publisher: Royal Asiatic Society
Publication Year: 1959
Total Pages: 384
Language: English, Prakrit
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 9 MB

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37
THE STORIES 15. The distressed lion
As already mentioned the BKK (Tāpasa-gaja-kathānaka No. 102-5) has a similar story with an elephant in the ingrate's role. It should be noted that the wolf of the MPC has become a man in the MPCJ and MPCH.
16. Kāşthamuni
This story which is used to provide the machinery for the dénouement of the MPC is again an extremely popular one. It occurs in the Av.1 and with almost identical wording in the Nandīsūtra commentary as an illustration of pariņāmikī buddhi. The relevent verses are :
Abhae setthi kumāre devi Udiodae havai rāyā sāhū ya Nandisene Dhandatte sāvaya amacce khamae amacca-putte Cāņakke ceva Thūlibhadde ya
Näsikka sundārī nande vaire pariņāmiyā buddhi The details are precisely those of the MPC.
In explanation of verse 84 of the Dharmopadeśa-mālā : · ann'-āsattā mahilā ghara-sāram puttayam ca bhattāram
nāsei Kattha-jāyā Vajjā vva nirankusā pāvā the commentary recounts the same story in a slightly shorter form.
The Kathā-ratnākara of Hemavijaya contains a tale obviously based on the Kāştha-muni legend. A merchant Dhanadatta goes away leaving behind his wife Rambha and two young sons. She at once takes a lover. One day a monk comes to the house, notices the domestic cock and says to his disciple that whoever eats its comb will become a king whilst from the mouth of whoever eats its wattles a precious stone will issue every day. Both the woman's lover and her maid overhear this prediction. The former demands that the cock be cooked for him but by chance the two boys eat those particular portions of the bird. He then proposes that she should kill the two boys and give their flesh to him to eat. The maid, overhearing this conversation runs away with them and the monk's prophecy is very soon fulfilled.
The Upades a-prāsāda2 also retells the legend of Kāştha-muni. Inevitably the climax of the tale of Kāştha-muni recalls a 1 Avasyaka-sūtra Agamodaya Samiti ed. Purva-bhäga, p. 558. 2 Vol. I, p. 66.