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

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merchandise but only that which could be counted, measured, weighed and scrutinised, and undertake a long sea voyage to foreign countries and come back wonderfully rich. They accordingly made careful preparations for the unusually long voyage and stored up all sorts of provisions for themselves such as rice, flour, oil, milk, drinking water, medicines, garments, weapons and such other useful items. On an auspicious day, they bid farewell to their friends and relatives over a sumptuous meal and set out.
When they had sailed many hundreds of yojanas across the Lavana sea, many evil omens started bothering them. There appeared sudden thundering sounds and flashes of lightning clouds roared like angry animals and there was continuous dancing of divine maidens in the sky. As if this was not enough to frighten them, a huge monstrous shape appeared in the sky which quite unnerved many of the sailors. It indeed had a frightening look. It looked as tall as a palm tree, its arms reached upto the sky, it was black as soot, it had pointed lips, with teeth protruding out like a wild boar's, its tongue hanged out, its eyes were fiery red. The goblin seemed to be advancing towards the ship with a sharp sword in its hand. It was growling, roaring and howling in peels of laughter. It had a girdle of queer reptiles and on its upper garment were hissing serpents, scorpions, lizards and other slimy animals. Its ear ornaments were made of dark cobras and on its head sat an owl as a crown. It altogether filled the sailors with terrible panic. They sat down to pray to their various gods such as Indra, Skanda, Rudra, Nāga, Bhūta, Yaksa and Durgă that mounts a buffalo and yet the terrible goblin would not stop its advance towards them. Their leader Arahannaka, who was a devoted lay disciple, selected a holy spot on board the ship and without being any way scared by the terrible goblin, he cleaned the spot and sat there down and prayed to the revered sages that had attained salvation. He promised them to be faithful to whatever vows he had made and be a sincere devotee to the Law and renounce all superfluities. He renounced his food and was lost in prayer. The goblin appeared right in front of him and warned him that all these minor vows, abstinences and fasts would not be of any help to him. He