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JAINA LITERATURE IN TAMIL
55
accompany these two, in order that she might have the opportunity of meeting the great Jaina ācāryas in the Pāņdyan capital of Madurai. These three continued their march towards Madurai when, after crossing the Cauvery, resting on the banks of a tank, Kõvalan and his wife were insulted by a wicked fellow who was wandering there with his equally wicked mistress. This provoked their ascetic friend Kaundhi who cursed these two creatures to become jackals. But after the earnest requests of Kõvalan and Kaņņaki the curse was revoked that they would resume their normal human form in a year.
After undergoing the troubles of the tedious journey, they reached the outskirts of Madurai, the Pāņdyan capital”. Leaving his wife Kaņņaki in the company and charge of Kaundhi, Kõvalan entered the city for the purpose of ascertaining the proper place where he could begin his business'. While Kõvalan was spending his time in the city with his friend MāļalanKaundhi wanted to leave Kaņņaki in the house of Madhari, a good natured shepherdess of that locality. When Kõvalan returned from the city, he and his wife were taken to Āyarpāļi and were lodged in the shepherdess' house. Her daughter was placed at the service
1. Ibid., Canto 10: Nāļu-kāņ-kādai, ‘The sight of the kingdom'.
2. Here starts the second part of the work, viz., Maduraikkāņdam.
3. Ibid., Canto 14: Or-kāņ-kādai, 'Seeing the City'. 4. Ibid., Canto 15: Apaikkala-kkādai, 'The Haven'.
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