Kuvalayamala Part 2

SR No.: 002778
Original Sutra Author: Udyotansuri
Author: A N Upadhye
Publisher: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan
Publication Year: 1970
Total Pages: 368
Language: Sanskrit, English
Classification: Book_Devnagari & Literature
File Size: 12 MB

Page 69

30
KUVALAYAMĀLA
how she reacts. Then she felt repentant, and, telling her mother-in-law about it, she rushed after him. His mother, and after her, his father followed them. Seeing his beloved behind him, he decided to test her attachment for him. Reaching the village well, he dropped a big stone in it and hid himself behind a tree. The noise of the falling stone gave her the impression that he had jumped into the well, and she followed suit as a true wife should do; the mother-in-law also followed her; and even the warrior, Vīrabhata, saw no other alternative than to jump into the well. Mānabhata saw the whole episode; but repentance came on him too late, and he started lamenting (§ 106) over his cruelty and ungratefulness. Finishing their obsequial ceremonies, he started on a tour with a view to meeting by chance some preceptor who would purify him of that sin. At Mathurā he heard a colloquial conversation in the camp of disabled and diseased destitutes, and got the clue that a dip in the confluence of the Ganges would wash him of his specific sins. He has arrived in Kaušāmbi with that idea. The purity of mind accompanied by penance and rules of good behaviour would wash the sins and not a dip into the Ganges etc. Hearing this, Mānabhata sought further light and guidance from Dharmanandana who preached to him the fourfold steps (samyaktva, jñāna, tapas and samyama) and finally initiated him duly in the order (Pages 49.22-56.10; *15.4-*18-3).
3. DECEIT-BIOGRAPHY OF MÃYĀDITYA: Dharmanandana continued that māyā (deceit) is abominable, and a deceitful person behaves crookedly to the ruin of his reputation, wealth and friends. This is illustrated by the career of this treacherous looking person, seated here, which is worth hearing.
There is a village, Saligrāma, to the south-west of Vārāṇasī (described 56.26-30) in the territory of Kāśī (described 56.21-25). In it lived a Vaiśya, Gangāditya, who was poor, ugly, socially abominable, morally heinous and full of treachery wherefore he was unanimously nicknamed and addressed by all as Māyāditya (: here he is). He developed friendship once with a rich local businessman Sthāņu who, being essentially of good nature, and despite warnings from others, responded affectionately. Somehow their contacts grew, though hypocritical on the one side and sincere on the other. Though they basically differed on the ways of earning wealth (57.16-17 and 24-26), they decided to go to Dakṣiṇāpatha for suitable business, and duly reached the town of i By trying their hands at various trades, each one could earn, to his satisfaction, five thousand; and they decided to convert each one's cash into five precious stones for the safety of a distant journey. They packed those ten pieces in a dirty rag, dressed themselves as friars (58.2-3) on a pilgrimage, and travelled on abegging. One day Sthāņu, when he went to the market for provisions, entrusted the package of ten precious stones to Māyāditya, who, however, prepared a similar package of ordinary stones with a view to running away with the former. Later, when Māyāditya ran away, giving one package to Sthāņu, he found, after covering a long distance, that he had duped himself by bringing with him the package of ordinary stones. He decided to meet his friend and mend matters to his advantage. Sthāņu with all his innocence and goodness started searching for his friend in sorrow. One day, being quite tired, he halted for the night in a temple where the song of a Gurjara (59.3) way-farer gave him