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 189

134
left the room. But the king's curiosity was aroused. He too wanted to know the answer. So on the next day, the order was given that that night it would again be the turn of Kanakamanjari to enter the king's bed room. Once again she went there with the slave girl and when the king was supposed to be asleep, Madanikā asked her mistress to complete the earlier night's story and answer the question that she had asked. Kanakamañjari said that the idol was a fourarmed one, it was not the size of the body that she referred to when she said that it was an idol of four hands.
Madanikā asked for another story which Kanakamanjari began: "Friend, there is a great forest. In it there stands a great red Asoka tree with outspread boughs and branches. And it has no shade." Madanikā asked, "how could such an excellent tree have no shade ?" Kanakamañjari said, she was too sleepy to explain it all. She could wait till the next night. The king who had overheard this much part of the story, on the third night also summoned Kanakamañjari to his bed room when she answered Madanikā's question. "The tree's shade is below it."
Then there was a request for another story and Kanakamanjari began: "In a certain place there was a village magistrate. He had a big camel which roamed about at will. One day it saw a babbula tree abounding in leaves, blossoms and fruit, and towards that the camel stretched out its neck but could not reach it. It harassed itself for a very long time in order to reach the tree; it stretched its neck a great deal in all four directions but could not succeed at all. It was seized by anger. Therefore, it discharged its urine and dung on the tree." Madanikā asked "How could it discharge its urine and dung on the tree which it could not even reach with its mouth ?" Kanakamañjari promised to complete the story next day.
On the next night Kanakamañjari said, "The babbula tree was down in the pit of a dried up well. Therefore the camel could not reach it with its mouth but conveniently expressed its anger the way it did."
In this way, Kanakamañjari amused the king with such interesting stories for six months and the king enjoyed being with her and enjoying the pleasures of love with her alone. The other