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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in a piece of cloth and sewed it carefully. He took care to see that the perfume of the powder inside would not be smelt from the outside. The rest of his belongings he distributed enjoined upon every one to respect all their relationships in a pious manner. Then he went to a forest and there he decided to fast unto death.
King Bindusära enquired after Cänakya but no one seemed to be knowing anything about him except the old nurse who told the king everything about Canakya that she knew. The king felt terribly sad and decided to meet Canakya and ask for forgiveness. He was accompanied by all his wives, his personal guards and also Subandhu when he went to the forest where Canakya was reported to be living. The king begged of him to come back to the capital but Canakya was in no such mood. He said he had renounced everything.
Subandhu pretended to be greatly impressed by Canakya's decision of renunciation and asked the king's permission to offer Canakya homage that he deserved. Subandhu lighted up some incense and placed it in such a way that the cowdung cakes that were heaped up around the place where Canakya sat, quickly caught fire and Cănakya was burnt alive.
Subandhu took possession of the house where Canakya had lived and one day he found the packet which contained the four boxes. He felt greatly curious and opened it. He came to pick up the letter that was left inside. The letter said that one who smelt the powder would die instantly if he should bath or enjoyed any kind of pleasure or even decorated himself. If he wanted to live, he must live the life of an austere monk. In order to verify the truth of this note, Subandhu made one of his servants smell the powder and quickly afterwards, treated him to pleasurable sensations and as the letter had predicted, the man quickly died. So Subandhu, who also had inhaled some of the perfumes had to give up every kind of pleasure, even that of a bath, and live like an austere ascetic which he surely was not.