Page Text
________________
57
be relieved from this affliction in the form of an evil smell.'* Then Madanávalí, hearing this, threw down all her ornaments as a present in front of the parrot couple ; but they, after holding this conversation, instantly disappeared. The queen, with her heart full of astonishment, said to herself : 'How does this parrot know my history? When I get a favourable opportunity, I will ask some hermit, that possesses supernatural knowledge, the story of the parrot ; for the present I will do what the cock-parrot said. I will worship the mighty Jina with sweet-smelling substances. Accordingly she worshipped the mighty Jina for seven days. After seven days her body became free from disease, and the evil smell left her. Then the soldiers, who were guarding her, brought the good news to the king that the evil smell had left the body of Madanávali. Then the king was delighted, and put her on an elephant, and brought her to his own palace. Then he had great rejoicings celebrated in the city. At this conjuncture the man who took care of the public gardens said to the king :
King, to-day there has arrived in the gardens the hermit Amritatejas, who possesses unlimited knowledge.' Thereupon Madanávali said to the king : 'My lord, this is a cause of rejoicing, greater even than the cause of rejoicing we had before.' Then the king, accompanied by Madanávalí, went to pay his respects to the hermit. He bowed before him, and listened to his exposition of the law. Then Madanávali, choosing a favourable opportunity, said to the hermit: 'Revered sir, who is that cock-parrot that instructed me when I had fallen into calamity?' The keralin said to her : “My good woman, your husband in a former life, being a god, descended from the world of the gods, and put on the form of a parrot, and came to you. The queen again asked the kevalin : ‘Revered sir, is that god present in this assembly of gods or not?' The hermit answered : It was that god that is standing in front of you, wearing a jewelled bracelet as an ornament.' The
* See vol. i. of my translation of the Kathá Sarit Ságara,' p. 25, and the supplementary note on p. 628 of vol. ii.
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
| SR No. | 016059 |
| Book Title | Kathakoca or Treasury of Stories |
| 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 |