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62 Life and Stories of Pārçvanātha took the dīkņā (initiation) with an ascetic that lived near by (650).
While the former thief, Mahābala, was preaching asceticism in the forest, a thief who had stolen a jewel casket from the king's palace came running up, pursued by the king's beadles, dropped the casket in front of Mahābala,30 and fled. No sooner had Mahābala taken up the casket, which was like a poison-maiden,' 40 than the beadles came along, surrounded him, and accused him of the theft. They beat him with their fists and with staffs, fettered him, and led him to execution. Then Māhabala recited a çloka, which described the grip of his fate. His captors wondered what he meant, and brought him before the king, in whose presence he repeated his çloka, narrating all his experiences. The king determined that he should escape his impending doom. Mahābala asked to be removed from the fateful banyan, but the king succeeded in allaying his apprehensions. In due time Mahābala rode out with the king upon a mettlesome horse, which became unmanageable, and dashed under that very banyan. Mahābala (Absalom-like) was caught in the throat by a thorn in a branch of that tree. The horse ran off, and he hung there dying, but reciting his çloka at the very end 41 (668). The king mourned Mahābala piteously, had him cremated in sandal-wood, and retired broken-spirited to his palace (699). Two Munis came along, and enlightened the king, so that, by the road of justice, he reached a state of imperishableness (padam avyayam) (609-722).
» See note 29, on p. 37. * See additional note 17, on p. 198. a See additional note 18, on p. 199.
