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________________ 424 STUDIES IN JAIN LITERATURE a Vidyadhara prince as her husband as she has already fallen in love with a man (called Makaranda). Citrangada every day tries to please Mallika with diverse acts of courtesy, courting and offering of various means of decoration, gifts and promises of his love but in vain. Candralekha, the mother of Mallika would rather kill her daughter than marry her to some one else (other than Citrangada). Mallika too is firm who would prefer death to marrying some one else (other than Makaranda). Devalaka gives the Ceti a wonderful news that in the morning he saw at the siddhayatana (a Jain temple) a man. The Ceti is interested in knowing about him as she has been directed by Candralekha to get his whereabouts. Devalaka asks her to go to the siddhayatana where he is resting and he himself proceeds to meet Mallika and give her divine fruits. Act III : The main scene opens with Makaranda, who has fainted on account of a sudden fall from high above. After recovering consciousness he wonders where he is. From the various indications he infers that he is in heavenly region. In front of him he sees the everlasting idol of Jina and pays homage. From behind-the-scenes a voice resembling that of Mallika is heard by Makaranda. He wants to ascertain whether his guess is correct. He comes across Tapasakumara and Manorama, seated in an arbour. Makaranda is simply struck with wonder at the striking resemblance between Tapasakumara and Mallika. He bows down to Tapasakumara. Tapasakumara wants to know how he happened to come to this celestial region (the mountain Meru). He pleads ignorance. Makaranda desires to know about Tapasakumara's family and why in the prime of life with such a handsome form he has taken to this ascetic life. Thereupon he narrates his account : "This mountain Meru is a part of the Vaitadhya Mountain. Once, Candralekha, the wife of the Vidyadhara king Vainateya, who was ruling over Rathanupura, transgressed the top of this siddhayatana. As a result of this violation she forgot altogether her lore of flying through the sky and fell down here. She then practised austerities lasting for six months with a view to regaining her lost lore. At the end of the austerities she regained her lost lore. However, being overcome by passion she enjoyed love's pleasures with a young Kirata (forest dweller). As a result of the love affair she became pregnant. As soon as she delivered a child she deserted it by putting on its person a few but very valuable ornaments....... He stops half-way. On being questioned by Makaranda he replies that he was brought up on Pancasaila (Mountain)-no, no, not Panca saila mountain but here only. Makaranda knows that the latter part of the story is spurious. He believes that the deserted child is none other than Mallika and that this Tapasakumara must be her brother. Tapasakumara further tells him that realizing the objects of pleasure, www.jainelibrary.org For Private & Personal Use Only Jain Education International
| SR No. | 001868 |
| Book Title | Studies in Jain Literature |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | V M Kulkarni |
| Publisher | Shardaben Chimanbhai Educational Research Centre |
| Publication Year | 2001 |
| Total Pages | 114 |
| Language | English |
| Classification | Book_English, Literature, & Story |
| File Size | 14 MB |