Kathakoca or Treasury of Stories

SR No.: 016059
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: C H Tawney
Publisher: Oriental Books Reprint Corporation New Delhi
Publication Year: 1975
Total Pages: 288
Language: English
Classification: Dictionary & Dictionary
File Size: 15 MB

Page 29

3
of even men of alien creeds. Here ends the story of Dhanada concerning the worship of him who is free from passion.
Even one act of worship paid to the Jina produces for men all blessings, as rain showered down by a cloud produces in the appointed time great blessings in the form of crops.
In this very land of Bharata there is a town of the name of Vasantapura. In it lived a merchant, STORY OF DEVAPÁLA. whose name, Jinadása,* well expressed his character. He had a servant of the name of Devapála, who was very well conducted, self-restrained, discriminating, appreciative of the good points of others, and devoted to his master. This servant's business was to take the cows to graze. Now, once on a time, the rainy season arrived.
The clouds rumbled, the tribes of long-tailed peacocks danced for joy; There were drops of rain and lightnings in the heaven, The torrents flowed with turbid stream,
The great water-receptaclest poured down rain.
At that time, as the servant, named Devapála, having led his cows to graze, was returning home, it happened that a river which flowed across his path, having been swelled by the rain, had become difficult to ford. While Devapála was looking at the river in flood, he saw in the water a stone image of the Jina, and reflected: 'Oh my good luck! Oh the accumulation of my merits! Oh the totality of my actions in my past lives! In which of them can my works have been deficient ?' At last there came a great downpour. He took that image of the Jina, and set it up in that very spot under a pípal tree, and made a vow that he would not touch food. until he had worshipped it, and so returned home. The cloud went on raining, and Devapála was prevented from performing his worship by the fact that the river was in flood. Accordingly he would not take
* Slave of the Jina. †The rain-clouds.
A Jaina is strictly forbidden to say 'The god rains.' translation of the 'Ácháránga Sutra,' p. 152.
See Jacobi's