Treasury of Jain Tales

SR No.: 006762
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

Page 166

16. CANAKYA THE DIPLOMAT
In a certain village Canakagrāma by name in the country of Golla, there lived a Brahmin family. The Brahmin called Canaka was a devotee of Jain religion. His wife gave birth to a child who already had cut teeth, and fairly large ones at that, at the time of his birth. They gave to the child the name of Cānakya. Once when it was taken to a Jain monk by way of showing the family's respect, the monk predicted that the boy would one day become a king. The father did not quite enjoy the idea that his son should experience as a king all the misery not only during this life time but also in the following life. So he got his son's teeth around to normal size. He was again taken to the monk to verify whether the first prediction could now be corrected. The monk looked at the child and said that he would govern by proxy.
Cānakya grew up to be a master of various arts. He became a devoted follower of Jain religion. In the course of time he married a girl that came from a noble family. Once she had gone to attend the wedding of her brother. Her married sisters also had come. They had plenty of ornaments on them and their dresses were expensive, and Canakya's wife felt greatly humiliated when every one in the gathering paid attention to them and overlooked her. She came back home in a dejected mood. When she reported it to her husband, he felt terribly concerned. He quickly decided to find out ways and means of earning money. He was told that king Nanda in Pātaliputra was generous in giving money to scholars. He set out to the city on the fullmoon day in the month of Kārtika and reported to the royal court. He occupied a seat on the eastern side