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CHAPTER ELEVEN this thought, he went to Vitabhaya and the hunchback had him worship the image of the god of gods. The next day Gāndhāra became ill and the hunchback, devoted to the Jain religion, watched beside him. Gāndhāra, wise, knowing that his own death was near, gave the pills to the hunchback and adopted mendicancy himself.
Story of Devadattā and Pradyota (451-541) As she (the hunchback) was ugly and desired beauty, she put a pill in her mouth and at once had a divine form like one coming into existence by manifestation. Her whole body became gold color from the pill and then everyone called her Suvarṇagulikā. She put a second pill in her mouth and thought: 'In vain have I such beauty, if there is no suitable husband for me. This king is like a father to me; other kings are his footmen. Therefore, let Candapradyota, cruel in his commands, be my husband.'
In the presence of Pradyota the deity described her beauty; and Pradyota sent a messenger to ask for the hunchback. The messenger went and asked for her. She said,
Show me Pradyota.' He reported this in detail to Pradyota. At once, assuming the splendor of Indra mounted on Airāvaņa, Pradyota mounted the elephant Anilavega and went there during the night. Just as she had pleased him, so then he pleased her. Pradyota said to the hunchback, 'Olotus-eyed lady, come to my city. The hunchback replied: 'I can not go any place without the statue of the god of gods, without which I can not live even a moment. Therefore, king, you must bring a copy of the statue that can be left here and this (the original) be taken.' The king of Avanti examined the form of the statue, spent the night, and went back at the end of the night.
Pradyota went to Avanti and had made a statue of the god of gods of real sandal wood, just like the one he had seen. He asked the ministers, 'Who will consecrate this new image of the god of gods that I have had made?'
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| SR No. | 001006 |
| Book Title | Trishasti Shalaka Purusa Caritra Part 6 |
| Original Sutra Author | Hemchandracharya |
| Author | Helen M Johnson |
| Publisher | Oriental Research Institute Vadodra |
| Publication Year | 1962 |
| Total Pages | 446 |
| Language | English |
| Classification | Book_English, Mythology, Story, N000, & N010 |
| File Size | 21 MB |