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she lived the maximum number of săgaropamas. She was reborn again as a fish and the same story repeated over again. Thus she completed three cycles of life as fish. Her new birth was amongst serpents, and later amongst birds before she came to possess the gross and harsh earthbody.
One of Nāgasri's later births was as a daughter of the merchant Sāgaradatta and his wife Bhadra in the city of Campå. She was a delicate and tender child, as soft as the palate of an elephant. The parents therefore gave her the appropriate name of Sukumärikā. The girl was brought up with extreme care. She had five nurses and grew like a campaka creeper in the interior of a mountain cave, secure from rough weather and such other dangers. She grew up into a remarkably beautiful young woman.
In the same town, there was another merchant called Jinadatta, who had a son Sägaraka by name. He was a handsome young man. Once Jinadatta saw Sukumārika, who just had had a bath and was playing with a golden ball on the terrace of her house with a group of companions. Jinadatta was fascinated by her beauty and asked his servants who she was and who her parents were. When the servants collected all the necessary information and brought it to their master, he was delighted and decided to call upon Sāgaradatta. When he made the proposal, for the hand of Sukumärikā, for his son Sägaraka, Sāgaradatta felt happy to accept it though he made a condition that the young man Sägaraka after his marriage to Sukumärikā,should live with them in their own house rather than take away the daughter. Jinadatta said he would consult his people and convey the decision later.
Jinadatta told his son about the condition but he remained silent which the father understood as his consent. So on an auspicious day he invited his friends and relatives for a feast at his place. The young son was duly dressed and decorated with ornaments, put into a palanquin and was taken in a gorgeous procession in the company of friends and relatives to the house of Sagaradatta. They were all properly received by Sāgardatta and the young man was given a seat by the side of Sukumārika and given a bath with water from white and yellow pitchers. Later they both made oblations to
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| SR No. | 006762 |
| Book Title | Treasury of Jain Tales |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | V M Kulkarni |
| Publisher | Shardaben Chimanbhai Educational Research Centre |
| Publication Year | 1994 |
| Total Pages | 468 |
| Language | English |
| Classification | Book_English |
| File Size | 17 MB |