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12
JAINA STORIES
exchange for suitable hum in offerings. The lady tben pointed to us and promised them to sacrifice us for their propitiation on the next auspicious day.
"'Sir, I got frigbtened and apprised my fellow students with the situation I suggested tbat the matter must at once be reported to the fing, and, on our own part, we must be forearmed with solar power by propitiating the sun.god. so that we would at least not readily succumb but put up a resistance and save ourselves When my friends approved my proposal, we went to the king He offered to move at once, but I pursuaded him to go slow, and mect the situation with great tast When I revealed my own plans, the king approved
“'We started, sir, propitiiting the sun-god fron that day and were soon successful Tbe god bestowed on me this imagic blouse and on my seven friends seven lozenges. At the appointed hour, I was advised to put on the blouse, and my friends were to put a lozenge each in her mouth, and, we were assured by the sun-god, that would be enough not only to baffle the wicked lady in ber evil designs, but even to put an end to her earthly life
"'The savant lady didn't have even an inkling of suspicion about our solar power acquired, of late. Days passed. One day, tbe lady told us about an imminent danger to Ourselves, to avert which she not only offered to help us, but advised us to be in her room at midday on suoday when, she promised, she would do the needful to prctect us On the appointed day, we all assembled in her room, fully prepared for any eventuality The lady drew eight circles on the ground and seated one of us in each Then a very elaborate ritual was instituted, at the end of which the lady went to another room to have a change of sari given to her by the 63 yoginis I took this opportunity to put on the louse, and my friends placed a lozenge each in their mouth