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Introduction
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minister, Citrasena began to rule Vasantapura. He always strove to do good to his people and led a pious life full of meritorious deeds such as charity, worship of tho Jinas and the like. Citrasena, Padmāvati and Ratnasara used to spend their tune together; they never separated from each other even for a single moment. One night when the king and the queen were asleep, Ratnasara served them as a guard with a sword in his hand. It so happened that a black serpert was seen coming down the chain of the bed. Ratnasara at once killed it with his sword. As ill luck would have it, a drop of blood fell on the upper part of Padmavati's leg. While Ratnasara was removing it, Citrasena woke all of a sudden and enquired what the matter was. Ratnasara was in a fix; if he told the truth be would be petrified as the yakṣa had prophesied, but if he did not tell it he would incur the wrath of his master and thereby stood in danger of his life. But he was not a man to swerve from the path of duty and virtue. He could not tell a lie
