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 241

184
see any other well, tank, lake or even a river. It always thought that the well was all the world and nothing could possibly exist outside it. But it so happened that into that well came another frog which was born and brought up in a sea. When it said so, our friend from the well wanted to know how big the sea could be and the other frog said that the sea was very expansive. The frog in the well drew a circle and asked whether the sea was as big as this. And when it was told that it was even bigger it jumped from one end of the well to the other and asked whether it was as big as that. That is how, O king, you think that no body else possesses a harem like yours. You should see princess Malli in Mithilā. The whole of your harem is not even equal to one-hundredth-thousandth part of the little toe of the princess." King Jitasatru like the other kings, despatched his own messenger with a similar message to king Kumbhaka.
All the six messengers from the six different kings came to Mithilã and conveyed their messages to the king. Kumbhaka felt furious with the whole situation and dismissed all the messengers with scant respect. They were ordered out of the palace by the back door. Thereupon the messengers sent back to their own respective kings reports describing the treatment given to them. The six kings held their own conference together and under the leadership of Jitasatru, led an attack on Mithilā. So a huge army laid a siege of the city. King Kumbhaka was really worried. Malli, who noticed her father's dejected mood, suggested that all the six kings should be invited to the palace. She said she would meet them in the inner apartment where she had kept her golden statue. Accordingly, Jitasatru and his five allies were brought to the inner apartment to see the golden image. They looked at it with great wonder. They felt enamoured of its form and really believed that it was Malli herself. But Malli came soon after, fresh from her bath and well decked up in all finery, to meet her six admirers. She went straight to the golden statue and lifted the crown on its head. Every one of the six princes stopped his nose with his upper garment to keep out the foul smell that came from the golden statue. They turned their faces away from it and Malli. When asked why they did that, they said they could not stand the terrible stench. Malli took up the point and argued further that if a golden statue which had received